Heartbreak And Triumph
by dx-nodoubt-dx
Summary: She's the next big thing for woman's wrestling, but helping a young boy ruins her career before it even gets started. Can the boys father help her get back on her feet and back into the game? Or has her passion and confidence been destroyed for good?
1. Heartbreak

_She's the next big thing for woman's wrestling, but helping a young boy ruins her career before it even gets started. Can the boys father help her get back on her feet and back into the game? Or has her passion and confidence been destroyed for good?_

_A/N : Okay this is kinda random but the idea just sort of came to me. It was actually I dream I had where I got flipped over and landed my lower back on a rock... but then I woke up and fell out my bed so I kinda forgot about the idea until now. I'm still waiting for inspiration for Behind The Curtain, and my wrist is getting better, so look for updates for that soon._

Becky Crawford walked casually along the street on a warm Texas afternoon. She had just finished work - she was a cashier in Walmart - and was making her way home. She glanced at her watch, glad to see she'd be able to make her wrestling lesson in plenty of time. Her fellow trainer, Mick, wasn't as hard-assed as some trainers her friends had mentioned, but she knew he didn't like it when she was late, so she was relieved to not have him be angry at her as soon as she walked through the door.

"In the ring, fifty squats Crawford." Becky had barely walked in the door and already Mick was barking orders at her. "I want you and Williams to show the rookies how to take a proper bump." Becky smiled encouragingly over to the two new girls, Flynn and Gracey, both of whom were just starting out in the wrestling business and were still at the shy stage where they didn't know what to do or say in case they offended someone. "Get warmed up before you snap a chord somewhere."

Becky rolled her eyes and slid in the ring, bouncing on the balls of her feet and doing some on the spot jogging to quickly get her blood pumping. She stretched out her legs, arms, back and neck before hitting her fifty squats, adding an extra ten for good measure. She dropped to her hands and did fifty push-ups, before she jogged and stretched some more, did some sit-ups and then finished with some more stretching. She noticed about halfway through her warm up that Flynn and Gracey had started copying what she was doing halfway through. She was pleased with their initiative. It meant she didn't have to waste time at the beginning telling them to warm up. "Okay, both of you come on in here."

Flynn and Gracey both got in the ring, glad Becky was the one giving them their first bump-lesson rather than Mick. While Becky was known to be extremely stiff in the ring, she had a much softer personality and a much more approachable attitude away from the cameras, and they knew they could trust her to go easy on them at first. Becky had been fighting for Shimmer for the past year, and in that time had grown to become a huge commodity for the independant promotion. At eighteen years old, Becky was very well travelled. She had spent time in Japan, Mexico and Britain learning the tricks of the trade from a very young age. She was only fourteen years old when she first stepped foot inside a wrestling ring. Her tall frame - she stood at 5'10" without heels on, and had done since she hit puberty - and Barbie-Doll style looks - large baby blue eyes and long, straight, platinum blonde hair - made her an instant hit with the fans. And the fact she could back it up in the ring made her even more of a fan favourite.

"Okay, the trick to taking bumps is not how much of your body hits the ground, but how loud the impact is." She glanced at Flynn and Gracey to make sure they were paying close attention. "When you back bump, you have to make sure you land on your upper back, otherwise you'll do some damage to your tailbone." The girls nodded, listening intently. "You also have to tuck your chin, otherwise you'll whiplash your head and trust me, it's not fun when that happens." Becky walked forward and got in position. "You have to make your hands slap the canvas to make the impact seem more fierce. But you have to make sure your body lands in synch, otherwise there will be more than one thud and people will notice and it'll basically just sound like shit. Like this," Becky executed a perfect back bump and got back to her feet, noticing how wide-eyed Flynn had gotten at the loud noise. "Trust me, as long as you keep your neck tucked in, it doesn't ever hurt when you do it." Becky added that part... it didn't hurt _when_ you did it... but the day after.... it wasn't nice. She did the same thing again twice, adding emphasis on the ring slap to show how the body was to land in synch. "Okay, why don't you two try it..."

Three hours later, darkness had fallen across San Antonio and Becky and Mick wrapped up the lesson for the day. Gracey and Flynn had done better than Becky had expected them to do... but she knew they'd be hurting come morning.

"You did good, you just have to work on your confidence and you need to learn to take up as much of the ring as possible." Becky instructed as they collected their gear and made their way outside before Mick locked up. "You have to catch the attention of every person in that place, even if it's just a dingy little gym hall, you have to be as big as you possibly can be so that everyone can see you. But that'll come naturally over time." She hugged them both happily and nodded towards the black eye forming on Flynn's face. "I would ice that the moment you get home, and my one request is that you both take a long, hot bubble bath tonight before you go to bed and let your body tense up." Flynn and Gracey both promised her they would before bading her goodbye. The two other trainees, two young guys called Steven and Breckin, waved at her before they two got in their cars and drove off.

"You wanting a ride Crawford?" Mick asked gruffly as he came to stand beside her. Becky lived about fifteen minutes from where the training center was.

"No thanks Mick." She smiled and kissed him gently on the cheek. "It's too nice a night to drive, I'll see you on Monday."

"Kick ass tomorrow for me girl!" Becky smiled and waved as she walked off. SHIMMER had a big event tomorrow, and she was facing Cheerleader Melissa for the first time. Melissa was undefeated in Shimmer, and Becky was set to be the one to end her streak, cementing her status as the biggest female in the business today. She was walking along, lost in her own thoughts, when she suddenly heard yelling from a nearby park. Turning slightly, she stopped walking and listened, trying to figure out what was happening.

"No! Stop- argh, get off me! Please, I don't know-" There was a loud thud then a wailing, almost like a wounded animal. Becky frowned and crossed the street, glancing left and right to see if there was anyone in the vicinity who could help her out. Realising there was nobody, she crept through the bushes and took a look at what was going on. There was a group of what appeared to be young guys, all in their early twenties, standing over a lump on the ground. Looking closer, Becky could see in the dim light a shilouette of a boy, no older than twelve years old, lying face-up on the ground, his face a bloody mess.

"Hey!" Becky yelled, emerging from the bushes. She realised too late that she hadn't thought this through as the men turned to look at her. Some looked afraid that they had been caught, while others looked plain bored. "Leave him alone."

"I'd suggest you mind your own business and walk away pretty girl." One of the guys leered at her, and she started to grow even angrier.

"He's just a kid!" She spat, stalking forward till she was right in his face. He stared at her in surprise, he hadn't ever met a girl with this much balls before. "What the hell did he ever do to you?"

"He got in our business when he wasn't invited." The man snarled, kicking the young boy once more in the stomach for good measure. "He needed to be taught a lesson."

"You are all so pathetic." Becky seethed, trying to get a good look at the boy to see if he was concious. He didn't appear to be, not anymore. "He's just a kid. Do you get some pleasure beating up little kids? Are you some sick weirdo who gets your rocks off to that?"

"Maybe I am." The guy had grown bored with her, and turned to walk away. "The little brat knows now not to meddle in my affairs." They gang of boys walked away, and Becky immediately knelt down next to the boy, whom she noticed wasn't unconcious after all. Instead he was staring at her with scared and pain-filled eyes. He was trying to say something, and Becky had to lean in close to his face to hear what he was saying.

"They have my dads wallet," The little boy was groaning, losing blood from a gash in his forehead by the second. Becky pulled out her cellphone and began to dial 911. "I can't lose it.. he'll kill me." Becky sighed and passed him the phone, ordering him to call for an ambulance while she got to her feet and went after the gang. "Hey!" They just ignored her and instead kept walking, they were out on the street and she had to run to catch up with them. "Give the kid his wallet back man, there's no need to take it."

"Fuck off bitch." One of the guys jeered. The majority of the gang kept walking save for one, who turned to glare at Becky evily.

"I'd do as you're told little girl." His voice was as cold as ice, Becky felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up due to the cold, empty eyes that were staring back at her. "Go tend to your little boy."

"Give it back you moron!" She yelled, breaking into a run again as the man turned his back on her. She was caught by surprise as he suddenly spun round and began to run towards her. She was already running so fast that she didn't have time to stop as he lowered his head and went for her knees. She felt herself being lifted into the air - like a backdrop - she thought immediately, and tried to twist her body to land on the side, but he still had a hold of her legs as he threw her right over his head. As Becky crashed down onto the concrete, she realised two things.

One, she really had to work on taking backdrops.

And two, she'd hit her head pretty hard, and the stars up above her were beginning to sping wildly. She felt a sharp pain in her lower back and then nothing as the pain and blissful darkness overtook her.


	2. Broken Dreams

_A/N : Aaahhh HBksMainEvent you read my mind ;). Thank you for the review. Chapter 3 is almost done, should be updated soon for anyone else who is reading._

Cameron Hickenbottom watched absently as the doctor felt his pulse and shone a torch in his eyes to see if he had a concussion. "Are you sure you're not hurting anywhere else Cameron?"

Cameron rolled his eyes at the doctor, then grimaced as he caught the stern looks of his mother and father. "No, Doctor, I feel much better now. I'm just hurting a little around my ribs."

"Well, that's understandable." The doctor mumbled, glancing down at his chart. "We'll have to keep you in for a few days for observation... you've taken a nasty bang to the head and there seems to be some internal bleeding, so we need to keep an eye on that." Turning to his parents, the doctor spoke. "He's a very lucky young man, any more hits to the head and things might have been a lot more serious than they are now..."

Cameron's mother, Rebecca, and his father, Shawn, both shook the doctors hand. "Thank you Doctor, we can't thank you enough for what you've done for our son."

"It isn't me you should thank." The doctor said with a small smile. He went to walk out the door when Cameron called out to him.

"Sir? What happened to the girl??"

The doctor sighed and turned back to the Hickenbottom family, his face grave. "She wasn't so lucky... her name is Becky." He added to Cameron, who was looking upset. "She appeared to have been thrown to the ground. And she landed very awkwardly on her back." The doctor glanced to Shawn, who had a look of understanding in his eyes. "It doesn't look good."

"But she'll be okay, right?" Cameron asked desperately. "I mean, they didn't attack her."

"They didn't no... we're still not quite sure what happened there." The doctor sighed and glanced down at his notes. "She was found lying on the side of the road knocked out, she hit her head and her back pretty hard on the concrete... and no, she won't be okay." The doctor added, seeing Cameron's face fall. "It'll be a while before she walks again, and I think her choice of career might have to change from here on out."

"What did she do?" Rebecca asked in concern. They knew the girl who had saved their son from even further beating was still in surgery, and they wanted to thank her personally for what she did.

"She's actually a professional wrestler." Shawn and Rebecca shared a surprised glance. "And from what I've heard, she was actually rather good." The docs pager bleeped, and he ruffled Cameron's hair. "I have to get going, but take it easy for a while Cameron, at least until you get out of here. Your ribs will be hurting for quite a long time."

"Thanks again Doctor." Shawn said graciously. He waited till the doctor had left the room before he turned to his son, gazing at him in disappointment. "Cameron how could you!"

"I know!" Cameron burst out, holding his head in his hands. "I know and I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I lost your wallet-"  
"Cameron, it's not just the fact you lost it." Shawn said gently, trying to control his emotions the best he could. When he'd recieved the phone call from the hospital saying his son had been attacked, he had almost passed out with fear. "It's the fact you took it in the first place without my consent and then walked through that area of town alone. You know fine well I don't like you out there by yourself, especially at night!"

"Dad, I only took it to pay Martin for that CD! I was gonna put the money back as soon as I got it... I just didn't think you'd let me have it after you'd bought me that game a few weeks ago.."  
"So you thought you'd steal instead?" Cameron hung his head in shame. "Cameron, you have no idea how angry and disappointed I am with you right now." Cameron was close to tears, and Rebecca put a hand on Shawn's arm, begging him silently to lay off of him a little bit. "Just please do as your mother and I ask next time..." Shawn covered his face, his emotions getting the better of him. "It could have been much worse tonight... we could have lost you." Rebecca let out a sob and Shawn pulled her close, only making Cameron feel even worse. He hadn't wanted to cut through that park on his way home, but he knew he was in big trouble for being out so late and so he thought it would be quicker and easier to go through the woods. He hadn't expected to come across that gang dealing drugs, and he hadn't intended on getting so smart with them either. In the end his mouth had gotten him in trouble and they had started kicking the crap out of him until he could barely breath. That's when they had raided his pockets and took his dads wallet. He had gotten mouthy again, and this time one of them had cut his head with something sharp, and that's when she had come. He had listened to her berate them, fearless in the face of so many huge men. He heard her stick up for him, try to get them to back off and even when they had walked away and she was trying to get him some help, she had still tried to help him even further by going to get his dads wallet back.

"Cameron? Cameron, are you even listening to me?" Shawn sighed in frustration and sat down heavily next to his sons hospital bed. "I really don't know what I'm going to do with you. Are you listening to a word I've been saying?" Cameron looked up at him through glazed eyes.

"It's my fault she can't wrestle anymore dad."

Shawn felt his heart breaking as his son started crying. "Hey, it isn't your fault... Cameron, it's okay, don't cry." He took Cameron in his arms and held him, trying to comfort him the best he could. He knew his son liked to play the tough guy - he was turning fourteen in a couple of months and he liked to think he was "grown up" enough now to be entirely emancipated from his parents. Shawn knew he was too overprotective of his children, but after this incident, could anyone really blame him? He was used to violence, used to people hurting other people for no apparent reason. But his son didn't need to be subjected to that. Not at thirteen. "Shh... it's okay, this isn't your fault."

"It is my fault!" Cameron wailed. "I told her that they had your wallet, I told her that you'd kill me if I lost it. She went after them! She went after a group of crazy guys just to try get it back for me. No-one knows what happened yet she can't walk anymore all because of me!" Cameron buried his face in Shawn's shirt, feeling angry at himself for crying like a little baby, and guilty that he'd been the cause of a person no longer being able to pursue their livelyhood.

"Look, once Becky wakes up, we'll take you in to see her and you guys can talk okay?" Cameron nodded, unsure whether he wanted to see her or not. On one hand he wanted to thank her for saving him. On the other hand, he didn't want her to be angry that it was because of him she couldn't walk. "But before that, you need to rest those ribs up so I suggest you try go to sleep." Cameron, glad to be given a reprieve from the lecture his father had seemed to have forgotten about, lay back down against the pillow and closed his eyes. After a few moments, Shawn could tell by his even breathing that he was asleep. Glancing to his wife, who was still upset, he got to his feet and took her in his arms, kissing her gently and brushing her hair out of her face.

"It's okay," He whispered, pressing his forehead against hers. "He's gonna be fine... and this'll teach him not to defy us and stay out after dark again."

"But what if that girl hadn't come along Shawn?" Rebecca wept quietly, covering her eyes with her hands. "What if they hadn't backed off and beat her up too? What if we'd lost-" Shawn put a finger to her lips to silence her.

"We didn't lose him, and we won't lose him okay?" Rebecca nodded. "We're very lucky that nothing worse happened to him. Now all we have to do is pray for that poor girl and hope she'll make a full recovery..." Shawn and Rebecca shared a glance. Words were not needed, but the thought was there.

They both knew fine well that with a back injury as severe as the one she had... Becky would never be the same again.


	3. A New Friendship

Melissa Anderson glanced at her watch once more in frustration. The Shimmer event was already underway and her opponent, the girl she would be passing the title to in the main event tonight, hadn't even shown up. It was the first time she was wrestling Becky Crawford, but not the first time meeting her. Melissa had taken Becky under her wing the moment she met her three years ago at an indy show in Japan. The then-fifteen year old was able to do some pretty tricks, but mostly had her job because of her age and the magic she could produce on the mic. Since then, Becky had improved beyond recognition, and was now poised to gain worldwide fame in either TNA or WWE. Melissa hoped it would be TNA, because then she could play a bigger role in the young girls career.

Melissa spotted Allison Danger up ahead, and just by the grave look on her face, she knew it wasn't good news.

"She isn't coming is she." Melissa stated the moment Allison got to her. Allison shook her head. "I knew it, she's never late for a show... I knew she wouldn't start now." She inspected her friend and boss's face. "There has to be a good reason she's no-showed."

"She's done." Allison said bluntly. Seeing the look of shock and horror pass Melissa's face, she started to lose her composure slightly. "She was on her way home last night and tried to help this kid who was in some sort of trouble with a gang of druggies. Becky tried to intervene and somehow ended up being planted onto the concrete." Melissa closed her eyes in anguish. Trust Becky to want to play the hero. "There must have been some sort of bump or rise in the concrete, because her lower back hit it.. and hit it hard."

Melissa stared at her, willing her not to say what she didn't want to hear. "She can't move from the waist down... they don't think she ever will again."

"Oh God." Melissa moaned, covering her eyes with her hands. "How is she taking it?"

Allison shrugged. "No-one knows. She only got out of surgery about an hour ago and she still isn't coherent enough to have a proper conversation with." Allison glanced at Melissa, seeing how physically upset the woman was. Melissa was very close to Becky, everyone knew it. Becky was her protogee, so to speak, and she cared about her a lot. Everyone did, which was why Allison knew that once the news travelled it would be a huge blow to the entire roster. "I'm giving you permission to skip out on the main event if you want to go be with her." Melissa knew why Allison would be willing to do this. Becky had been an orphan by the time she turned two years old - her parents killed in a shoot out at their local convenience store. She had been raised by her only remaining family members, her mothers parents - two very temperamental Mexicans who had a fondness for physical punishment. It was thanks mainly to her grandfathers influence that Becky had become a wrestler in the first place. And when Becky was only fourteen years old, her grandmother had died. A couple months later, her grandfather followed, leaving Becky all alone in the world.

Melissa shook her head firmly. "No, I'm not walking out on those people out there...." She faltered slightly. "Becky wouldn't want me to."

"Nikki's going to be your opponent for tonight, we want you to retain the belt, is that okay?" Melissa nodded and Allison left, probably to spread the word that Becky was out and wouldn't be back.

Almost an hour later, Melissa's phone rang, glancing at the screen, she answered it, knowing that she would have to have this phone call sooner or later. "Hey Mike."

"Please tell me she's gonna be okay." Mike Dibiase, Beky's on-off - currently off - boyfriend, sounded frantic and upset over the phone. "Please tell me the rumours aren't true Liss."

"They are Mike, I'm so sorry." Mike let out a moan, and Melissa felt his pain. Becky didn't deserve to have her career cut so short. Especially when she was on the brink of stardom. "She really needs someone to be with her-"

"I'm already on my way." Mike interrupted. "I'm about a half hour away... if I ever find out who did this to her I swear I'll..." He trailed off, and Melissa thought he'd hung up before she heard him speak. "I'll kill them for putting her though what she's about to go through."

"Call me with updates please Mike." Melissa said. She had to wrestle then get the first flight out to Texas. "Tell her I love her." She hung up the phone and grabbed her belt, heading to the front to get ready for her match. Nikki was already waiting there, along with Kia, Rain and Ariel, all looking more upset than the next.

"Are you sure you're okay with doing this Melissa?" Nikki asked nervously.

Melissa nodded resolutely. "I'm definitely sure. You know as well as I do she'd go nuts if I just turned and walked away." Melissa took a deep breath and shook it off as her music began to play. "Let's rip this joint up."

A few hours later, Melissa finally arrived at San Antonio General. She was directed to Becky's room after telling the receptionist that she was her cousin, and she stopped outside, coming face to face with non other than the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels himself. Shawn didn't look surprised to see her there. Instead, he smiled slightly and held out his hand.

"Shawn Hickenbottom..." He glanced at her and then at the door to Becky's room. "So you're the Melissa she talked about..." He glanced back into the room, before turning back to Melissa. "She still doesn't know yet."

Melissa was still confused as to why Shawn Michaels was standing outside her friends door. "I can tell her.. it's okay... umm, how do you know Becky?"

Shawn smiled and shook his head. "I don't. Well, at least, I didn't. She helped my son out of a spot of trouble and I just wanted to thank her for it. My son wants to do it himself but he's a little shy, so I thought I'd come do it myself firstly."

Melissa smiled. "I'm sure she liked that. She's a huge fan of yours."

Shawn chuckled. "Tell her she hid it well." He glanced at his watch. "I gotta get back to the family but can you tell Becky that Cameron will probably be down to see her soon?" Melissa nodded. "Thanks Melissa." She watched him walk away before entering into the room. Becky looked up as she walked in, and instantly a smirk came over her face.

"Tell me Shawn Michaels didn't just leave my room." Melissa grinned widely. Becky was in better spirits than she had expected. Then again, she hadn't been given the bad news yet.

"He was so cute as well." Becky pouted playfully. "He was being all nice and gracious... as if anyone else would just walk by and let a thirteen year old kid get the shit beaten out of him." Becky trailed off, noticing the saddened look in Melissa's eyes. Gulping slightly, she motioned to the seat next to her. "I take it you're the one who's left to tell me the bad news."

Melissa sighed and walked forwards, seating herself next to Becky and taking her hand. Becky looked absolutely fine, if a little pale. She knew that would be because she was under a lot of anasthetic... maybe that was why she wasn't asking about her injury. Maybe she couldn't feel anything and just assumed it was the medication. "Becky, honey, do you remember what happened last night?"

Becky frowned, racking her brain. "Well, once the guys had walked away, I pulled out my cell and I dialed 911." She frowned, her mind still slightly hazy due to the bump to her head combined with the medication. "I remember giving the kid my phone... and then he said something about his dads wallet, so I went to go get it back." Melissa rolled her eyes. "The kid was crying about it, I figured it must be important if that was all he could think about after being beat up. So I ran after them, and this one guy turned round to tell me to back off. And he was pretty creepy." She frowned again. This was where it started to get fuzzy. "I think he hit me, but I'm not sure. I think I ran at him, and he ran at me." She felt herself falling through the air before landing, the pain in her back beyond belief. "Yeah, he ran at me and swept my legs out from underneath me. I did a total backflip over his shoulders and landed hard on my back....." She trailed off. Melissa stared at her, wondering what was up. When she looked back, Melissa could see the tears swimming in her eyes.

"There was a bump in the sidewalk," Becky whispered, her face growing paler by the minute. "I remember when I first landed, I couldn't feel my legs, then my head started to hurt after I banged it and I passed out.... but the pain in my back... it was a huge slice of concrete sticking right up." She closed her eyes and looked away again. "How bad is it?"

"Becky, sweetie-" Melissa began.

"Quit the bullshitting and just tell me Lissa!" Becky burst out angrily. "Am I done?"

Melissa closed her eyes painfully for a second. "I haven't spoken to the doctor personally.. but yes, it seems like you are through."

Melissa expected her to cry. Expected her to curse and swear into oblivion and go absolutely crazy. But she didn't. Instead, she took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her eyes, and chuckled.

"That'll teach me to stop playing the hero."

Melissa was definitely confused, and Becky's reaction was setting off warning bells in her head. Before she could speak, however, a man appeared at the door who Melissa assumed was Becky's doctor.

"I'm glad to see you're fully awake." The doctor said, walking over and checking her vitals. "Everything seems to be good from the waist up... how are you feeling?"

Becky stared at him strangely. "What do you mean from the waist up?" The doctor glanced at Melissa, who shook her head shortly. Becky knew that she was through wrestling, but not that she was through walking as well. "I'm not..." She gulped audibly. "Paralysed.... am I?"

The doctor nodded his head sadly. "I'm afraid so."

Tears swam in Becky's eyes again, but once again she wiped them away. "Is that why I still can't feel my legs?"

The doctor nodded and came closer to her, shining a torch in her eyes to make sure she still wasn't being affected by the head bang. "It appears as though you've damaged the Lumbar region in your spine... whether it's beyond repair, we don't know... all we know for now is that you won't be able to walk again for a while." The doctor gazed at her, seeing how she was taking the news. "I know it must come as a shock to you, and it'll be a big transition for someone so active to suddenly be wheelchair bound." Melissa noted that Becky flinched when the wheelchair was mentioned. "But therapy and physiotherapy can be discussed nearer the time of your discharge, as of right now, I need to make sure you're okay with the three scheduled operations we need to undergo if you have any hope of ever walking again."

Becky nodded, taking this all in. "How long will I be in hospital for?"

"Another couple of weeks, then we can let you go home for a couple of months before your next OP. We need to take you back into surgery next week to fuse the vertebrae." The doctor got back to his feet and shot her a comforting smile. "I'll be back in a little while, I'll let you have time alone with your friends."

Once the doctor was gone, there was a long silence in the small hospital room. Eventually, Becky cleared her throat nervously.

"Does uh..." She cleared her throat again. Melissa scooted closer and took her hand gently. "Does Allison know about me?"

Melissa nodded sadly. "It was her who told me. I think Mick contacted her after the police contacted him. He says he'll be in to see you soon," She added, causing her to smile slightly. "I think you'll have a lot of visitors over the next few days."

"Starting now." Becky muttered, staring at the open doorway. Melissa turned to see a young teenage boy standing there, looking very nervous with a large gash across his forehead. Melissa put two and two together and subtly got to her feet. "I'm gonna go get us some coffee." She smiled encouragingly at the young boy on her way out. Becky eyed him for a few moments, noting how cute it was that he seemed so nervous.

"Are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna come in and talk to me?" She asked, a teasing lilt to her voice.

Cameron blushed and walked forward, sitting down hesitantly in the seat Melissa had just vacated. When it was clear he wasn't up for initiating a conversation himself, Becky decided to do it on her own. "Hi."

He smiled slightly. "Hey."

Becky chuckled. "I don't bite you know..." She glanced at the cut on his head and then down to his hands, which were bandaged. "How are you feeling?"

Cameron shrugged. "Hurts a little bit but it'll get better." He glanced up at her fearfully. "How's your back?"

Becky shrugged. "I dunno, I can't feel anything." Becky sighed, realising Cameron wasn't in the mood for talking. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Becky."

"I know." Cameron said, taking her hand and shaking it. "I'm Cameron."

"I know." Becky smirked, and after a moment, Cameron smirked back. "So now that we both know we know each other... let's talk. How did you manage to get a bunch of old guys beating the sh-" She caught herself quickly, knowing how cleancut Michaels and his family were. "Beating the crap out of you."

Cameron slowly recounted the story of how he decided to take a shortcut through the park to get home quicker, due to his parents likely worrying about how late it was and him not being home yet. When he got to the part about walking across the men dealing their drugs, he faltered slightly, and Becky frowned.

"And then what?" Becky asked, guessing what had happened next. "You tried to walk on by and they just randomnly decided to use you as their punch bag?"

Cameron blushed slightly and refused to look Becky in the eye. "Well... actually... I kinda said some things to them... called them smackheads and whatnot." Becky rolled her eyes playfully and Cameron smirked again. "I tried to run away when I saw them get angry but I wasn't quick enough." He winced. "That's when they started beating me up." Becky saw him clutch at his ribcage slightly, and she frowned.

"If you're sore you should go back to bed and lie down." Becky commanded gently. "I don't want to be blamed for tiring you out."

"I'm alright." Cameron said, trying to breathe deeply without hurting his aching ribs even more. "I just wish I'd managed to get away... maybe then none of this," He waved a hand towards the lower half of Becky's body. "Would have happened."

Becky rolled her eyes again. "Well then that tells you that you run away _while_ you're being smartassed... you don't wait till after you've owned them before turning and running. You have to do it simultaneously otherwise it will never work and you'll constantly be getting your ass kicked for the rest of your days." Cameron laughed, and Becky smiled. It was the first genuine smile she had seen on the boys face since he'd walked in this room. "And don't worry about what happened... that was no-one's fault."

"It was mine." Cameron countered quickly, his voice trembling slightly. Becky inwardly winced, what had she started? "I shouldn't even have been out at that time, never mind I shouldn't have mouthed off at a bunch of rough guys..." Cameron's eyes misted over slightly, and Becky felt a tug at her heart. "I'm so sorry Becky... it's... it's my fault you can't walk anymore. It's my fault you won't be able to wrestle again. I'm so, so sorry." Cameron burst into noisy tears and Becky felt her own eyes begin to tear up as she reached out and took his hand, rubbing his back gently as he buried his face into her bedcovers, trying to hide his tears.

"Hey now, there's no need for this. If I'm not crying about it then you sure as hell shouldn't be crying about it." When his tears didn't subside, she tried a different tactic. "I'm not mad, Cameron. Trust me, you'd know if I was mad. If I've got anyone to be mad at it's the guy who tackled me to the ground and dropped me on a big bump in the road. Hey, Cameron, look at me." He refused to look up at her. "Cameron, please look at me." Cameron slowly raised his head and Becky wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Please don't be upset... really, this isn't your fault. What happened, happened and it's in the past now. So we just need to get over it." Cameron looked unconvinced. "Look, Cameron, I really need a lot of help if I ever want to walk again." Cameron's bottom lip trembled and Becky pressed a finger to it. "No more tears, okay? I need you to stay strong for me because I need to stay strong if I want to get better, do you understand?" Cameron nodded. "Good, now, I need your help to get better. Will you be willing to help me?"

Cameron nodded eagerly. "Anything Becky. I'll do anything to help you get better."

Becky smiled. "Good, now for one, you can never cry about this again." Cameron rolled his eyes. "And two, you can get your dad to take a picture with me."

Cameron made a face. "And how would that make you better?"

"Because your dad is so beautiful his touch will have healing powers." Cameron made a noise of disgust and covered his ears. "I'm only kidding! Jeez. But yeah, I really want to talk to your dad some more."

Cameron stared at her in distaste. "I swear Becky, if you keep going on about my dad, we can't be friends anymore."

Becky waited a few moments before replying.

"I'd rather be friends with your dad anyway."

....

"BECKY!"


	4. Recurring Nightmare

"SNAP!"

"You totally knew that one was coming!"

"I did not!"

"You so did! You're cheating!"

Becky pretended to look offended. "Well then if that's what you think, I'm not playing." She threw her stack of cards at Cameron's face and put on an expression akin to that of a petulant child. Cameron's ten year-old sister, Cheyenne, giggled gleefully and threw her own cards at her brother, causing Cameron to scowl.

"This is total abuse." Cameron said with a frown. Then pointed to his stomach. "I'm a wounded guy, and all you two can do is throw things at me?"

Becky pretended to look thoughtful. "I'd kick you but somehow I don't think I'd manage it." Seeing Cameron's facial expression tense up, she laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Relax. Now," She rubbed her hands together. "Who wants to go get me some coffee?"

Cameron and Cheyenne both started talking at the same time, which resulted in the siblings beginning to bicker back and forth with one another. Becky was trying to diffuse the situation when she heard a knock at the door and the two youngsters stopped mid-fight and turned to stare open mouthed at the huge man standing in the doorway, a stern look on his face. Becky inwardly groaned as she caught sight of him. He was someone she did not need to deal with at this moment in time. Drake Williams was probably her least favourite person in the whole world, and had been since she turned fifteen years old. She wanted to keep Cameron and Cheyenne here so that he wouldn't try anything with them around... but she also didn't want them caught in the middle of a fight that she knew was about to happen.

"Guys, the coffee?" She prodded them. They both shot her a nervous look, but did what she said and left the room. Cameron shot Drake a look of distrust as he left, slamming the door behind him. Drake stared at Becky silently for a few moments before walking forward and sitting next to her bedside.

"Who's kids are those?" He asked in a deep, rough, cold voice. Becky avoided his eyes, instead staring down at her hands. "I didn't know you knew any kids."

"The little boy is a patient in here." Becky answered, trying to keep Cameron and Cheyenne out of the conversation as long as she could. "What are you even doing here Drake?"

Drake raised his eyebrows. "You really think I wouldn't come see you? I need to assess the situation...."

"I can't walk." Becky said bluntly, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible so he would just go away.

"And how long will it be before you can walk again?" Drake asked, pulling out his trusty notebook and getting his pen ready to jot down the details. Becky felt her skin crawl. How the hell did she let this man get away with all the things he had put her through?

"I'm paralysed from the waist down." Becky said, trying hard not to laugh as his face grew even stonier than usual. "And there isn't much chance I'll walk again... never mind do your dirty work."

Drake glared at her. "I think I'll be the one to decide when I do and don't need your services anymore." Becky made a face. "Don't forget the deal your grandfather made me before he died."

"How could I forget." Becky said through gritted teeth. "It's not enough that I had to go live with the old bastard after my parents died... but then he gave you free right to my body and my wrestling abilities without even consulting me about it." Drake smiled evily, and Becky felt a shiver run down her spine.. well, the part of her spine that she could still feel. "Just leave, Drake, I can't do anything for you anymore."

"Like I said, I'll be the judge of that." He reached out and grabbed her leg, and she flinched slightly at the contact, even though she couldn't feel anything, knowing his hands were on her was enough to freak her out. "You still owe me three months Becky."

"I owe you nothing." Becky spat angrily, pushing his hand away. "The only reason I've put up with your shit the past three years is so I can get enough money to clear away my grandfathers debts and live my life the way I want to live it." She stared at him with venom in her eyes. "I hate you, you're a mean, perverted, twisted, stuck up son of a bitch and I hope you rot in hell." She let out a squeak as he lunged for her throat and grabbed her, squeezing her windpipe tightly, restricting her oxygen flow. Becky stared at him, wide-eyed. She knew he had a temper... but to attack her in a hospital room in the middle of the day like this?? It was crazy even for him.

"You listen here and you listen good," Drake whispered, keeping his face as close to Becky's as possible. Becky was trembling, struggling for breath as she tried to remain calm. "The deal was I get to use you any way I want to till six months after your eighteenth birthday... after that, I'll think about letting you go free. Your grandfather was nice enough to take you in when you were just a little orphaned brat... the least you can do is help level off his money troubles."

"By being your personal little sex slave?" Becky choked out. "By helping your roided up boys learn how to take a proper fucking back bump? You're pathetic... I don't know what you plan on doing but I won't be able to have any sex for a while... if ever." Drake squeezed tighter and Becky closed her eyes painfully, willing the tears not to fall from her eyes. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She didn't ever let anyone get the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"If you can't do what I pay you for, then I have no use for you anymore." Drake hissed, his eyes only slits. His entire face blurring and fuzzing in Becky's vision. She wondered if maybe he would kill her. Maybe it would be for the best. She couldn't walk anymore, couldn't wrestle anymore, and she was basically a slut for a guy that had more money and power than sense and was the most infamous character in Texas. Not only that, but she helped train monsters who were constantly pumped with steroids and illegally won wrestling tournaments all across the country. Was her life even worth living anymore?

Suddenly, Drake's hands were removed from around her neck and she could breathe freely again, although it did hurt quite a lot. She could hear a lot of yelling and could feel someone touching her cheek and her forehead, whispering into her ear.

"Wake up Becky, Becky, honey, wake up."

Becky opened her eyes and saw Cameron and Cheyenne's mom Rebecca staring down at her, tears in her eyes. Behind her, she could see Cameron and Cheyenne cowering, both looking scared out of their wits. Becky shot them both a comforting smile before glancing towards were security guards were trying to keep Shawn away from Drake, who had a bloody nose and swollen lip. Drake sent her a death glare, which she recoiled from. Doctor Richards glanced between Becky and Drake, and realised that Becky was not comfortable in Drake's presence whatsoever.

"Remove him from the building please," The Doctor ordered. "And if you come back Sir, I'll personally make sure to have you arrested." Drake let them lead him away without a word, but not before shooting Becky a look that she knew all too well. A look that said if she told anyone about their little arrangement, she was dead. Thankfully, only Melissa knew about what went down between her and Drake and all the Superroids. And Becky knew she could trust Melissa with her life, so she had no worries about Melissa spilling her secret to anyone.

"Are you alright?" Doctor Richards asked, scanning her face intently and placing a finger gently to her neck. She yelped at the contact, already feeling a bruise beginning to form. "Who was he?"

"A prick." Becky muttered, then glanced at Shawn and Rebecca apologetically. "Sorry."

Rebecca and Shawn both still looked confused and upset. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you want to report him?" Shawn demanded, seemingly more angry than Becky was herself. Then again, Shawn didn't know anything about Drake or his line of "work".

"I'm fine." Becky said, louder and stronger this time. "Really, it's nothing. He won't come back, I promise." Becky glanced over to Cameron and Cheyenne, who both looked a little calmer but still rather scared. "You two okay back there?"

Cameron came forward slowly, glancing at the red marks around Becky's neck. "He hurt you." He whispered, touching her neck and cringing when Becky flinched.

"I'll be okay kid." Becky whispered, ruffling his hair slightly. "Now where did my coffee go?"

Cameron smirked. "Dr Richards says you can't have any coffee before your operation this weekend." Becky was set to go into fusion surgery on Sunday morning, almost eight days after first hurting her back. The past four days had been agony for her - the pain had started to return to her back and upper-legs in a big way - and she would be glad of some relief and the drugs an operation would bring. The past four days had been spent with Mick, Melissa and the Hickenbottom family. Cameron seemed to never want to leave her side and Shawn and Rebecca still seemed to be eternally thankful for what she had done for their son. Becky was touched that they cared so much, but she was also a little sad that the week was almost over. Tonight was Cameron's last night in San Antonio General, as he was being discharged first thing in the morning. Becky wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she had actually grown quite fond of the little kid, and she'd be sad to not have him come visit her all the time anymore.

Shawn and Rebecca left to get some water for Becky, who was still a little shaken up from her encounter with Drake. She was already trying to block it from her mind but it was hard, especially because she knew just by the way Cameron was staring at her that he wanted an explanation.

"Dude, just chill, okay? It's over with now." Becky said, cutting him off before he could even begin.

"You have bruises on your neck." Cameron said in disgust. "How can it not be a big deal?"

"Look, I can't walk anymore because some asshole dropped me onto a slab of concrete after he beat up your little fourteen year-old ass, do you really think I'm worried about some bruises on my neck?" Becky saw his face fall and instantly felt terrible. She shouldn't be snapping at him. None of this was his fault. "Cameron, I didn't mean-" Cameron ran out of the room, the door crashing against the wall as he threw it open. Cheyenne shot Becky a sympathetic look as Becky held her head in her hands.

"He'll be okay Becky." Cheyenne said sweetly. "He's just a drama queen."

Becky smirked as Shawn walked back in the room, carrying some fruit as well as a glass of water. "Just like his dad then."

Shawn raised his eyebrows as Cheyenne burst out laughing. "What did I miss?"

_A/N : I'm really unsure about this chapter, I had thought it out better in my head. Maybe the next one will be better. Hope you guys like it. _


	5. Seperation

"I cannot _believe _the _nerve_ of that bastard!" Melissa raved, pacing back and forth at the foot of Becky's bed.

Becky rolled her eyes and gently fingered the bruises, which had only grown darker overnight. "It's really not that big a deal."

"Not that big a deal?" Melissa hissed. "After all he's put you through, he actually has the nerve to come into your hospital room and attack you when you can't move?? I'm sorry Bex but to me, that's a big deal."

Becky sighed and stared down at her hands. Melissa noticed that she was being quieter than usual, and it wasn't just because of what had happened with Drake the night before. "What's on your mind?"

Becky just shrugged, and Melissa rolled her eyes. She knew Becky wasn't the most forthtelling person she'd ever met, but usually Melissa was able to get her to talk about things she normally would never talk about with anyone else. It had downright horrified her to learn about her friends dealings with Drake Williams, but no amount of encouragement or berating could deter Becky from seeing out the last of her "contract" with the evil man. Melissa had found it hard to understand at first why Becky would let herself be put through that. But then she realised that Becky didn't know any better. Her grandparents had raised her with emotional and sometimes physical abuse, so really, her "deal" with Drake was all she properly knew, and with her being so young and so alone in life, she really was powerless to stop it. Melissa wanted to report him, but Becky didn't want it getting out. She didn't want the shame of everyone knowing and it had taken a while but eventually Melissa had admitted defeat and accepted it, but the thought of a fifteen year old girl being forced into selling her body made Melissa feel ill. It had taken a while, but eventually Becky had come clean and described some of her sordid nights with Drake, including times where he would beat her up if she didn't perform the sexual activities on him the right way. For someone to treat a young girl like that was downright disgusting, and sometimes Melissa couldn't blame Becky for being slightly messed up. She was surprised she was actually so sane, considering all she'd been through.

She now understood fully why Becky wasn't as upset upon hearing that she might not be able to walk again. Being wheelchair bound and in and out of hospital kept her away from Drake and his roidraged goons, and Melissa could understand how relieved Becky must feel to finally be out from under his crutches. Becky wasn't the type to show her emotions easily, and this was a simple case of Becky-not-wanting-anyone-to-see-her-looking-anymore-weak-and-more-vulnerable-than-she-already-was. It would take a lot for Becky's dam to break, but Melissa had a feeling she knew about someone who could help break it.

"Cameron's leaving this morning." Becky answered finally. Melissa raised her eyebrows. It was unlike Becky to admit to caring about someone. Usually she was the silent, actions-speak-louder-than-words type.

"And?" Melissa prodded, wanting her to admit it so she could record this moment down in history.

"And I'm gonna miss him." Becky muttered, so quietly that Melissa had a hard time hearing. Becky looked up and caught Melissa smirking at her, which caused her to blush. "Shut up alright! The kids grown on me, I'm used to having him around all the time..." She trailed off and looked away, and Melissa cocked her head to the side, waiting for her to speak. "It makes it easier when he's here everyday."

Melissa stopped her pacing and came to sit on the edge of Becky's bed. "How so?"

Becky sighed and inspected her nails for a few moments before eventually speaking. "Well, I try not to think too hard about my back, right? Cuz I mean, the moment I start thinking about that, I'm totally going into a nervous breakdown." She chuckled nervously and Melissa felt another tug at her heart. She could only imagine what her young friend was going through right now. "And at least, when I see him everyday, all bruised and cut and hurting and stuff... it's just a reminder of why this happened to my back... it shows that my back fucked up for a reason." She ran a hand through her hair impatiently. "I don't know how to properly say what I mean... but seeing him everyday reminds me that I was doing a good thing when this happened. When I see him, I know that hurting my back was worth it if it saved Cameron from a bigger beating or worse."

Melissa nodded. "That's understandable."

"But he's leaving today." Becky interrupted before Melissa could speak again. "So I won't have him in here asking about me everyday. I won't have that reminder everyday telling me that there was a silver lining to this black cloud that is my paralysis....."

"What are you trying to say?" Melissa didn't like where this was going.

Becky sighed and covered her face with her hands before gazing back up at Melissa sadly. "I'm saying that I really don't know how I'm gonna cope if all I have to think about everyday is that I can no longer walk... I really don't know how I'm going to cope with this injury. I don't know Melissa, I really don't know what I'm going to do." Becky tried to hide her eyes, which were beginning to leak tears, but Melissa took her hands away from her face and scooted closer, holding her tightly and rocking her back and forth.

"It's okay to be upset." Melissa whispered, holding her as tight as she could without hurting her. "You need to let this out. It's not healthy to just keep it bottled up. You have to be upset. You have to cry. I know how much this must hurt you, it's okay, it's gonna be okay."

"No it isn't." Becky sobbed, the sound of her cries almost broke Melissa's heart. "I can't do what I love to do anymore and I'm gonna be stuck in a fucking wheelchair for the rest of my life!" She let out a fresh wail. "I'm gonna be an invalid. That's all people will view me as now, some sort of invalid. I can't deal with this Lissa. I can't. I can't cope. I can't imagine... how the fuck am I gonna manage to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair?"

Melissa opened her mouth to reply when she heard a timid cough from behind her. Turning, she saw Cameron standing there. Becky looked mortified at Cameron seeing her in tears, and instantly tried to wipe them from her face. Cameron had a sympathetic frown on his face, but he also looked slightly apprehensive.

"Is it okay if I come in?" He asked, taking a couple of steps forward. "I came to say goodbye to you."

Becky smiled through her tears and nodded. "Of course you can." She patted the seat next to Melissa. "Come sit down." Cameron walked over as Melissa got to her feet.

"I'll leave you guys alone for a little bit." Melissa squeezed Becky's hand in comfort and left the room. Cameron sat down next to Becky's bed and just stared at her, silently asking why she was so upset.

"What are you staring at?" Becky asked, trying to break the tension she could feel surrounding the room.

"Are you okay?" Cameron asked, frowning. "You look really upset."

"I'm fine." Becky said dismissively. "Everything's just catching up to me a little bit, that's all." She gave a dry laugh, and Cameron shot her a strange look. "I guess it's finally starting to sink in that I'll never walk again." She saw Cameron hang his head, and she sighed. "Cameron, come on. Cheer up. You're getting out of here today, you must be happy."

"I am." Cameron nodded, still staring at his hands, which were clasped on his lap. "But I'm gonna miss hanging out here with you."  
Becky had to fight extremely hard not to start crying again. He was so sweet. "I'm gonna miss you too. But I'm sure once I'm out of here we'll see each other somewhere. San Antonio ain't that big a place after all."

Cameron looked up at her in defeat. "So I can't come visit you anymore?? Even, even when I get out of here?"

Becky stared at him in surprise. "Why would you want to do that?"

Cameron blushed slightly, causing Becky to smirk. "I just think you're cool and well, it is in part my fault that you can't walk so I just thought... I mean, I'd like it... I know you don't have many visitors so-" Becky cut him off by grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently.

"Yes, Cameron," She said softly. "You can come visit me."

Cameron's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Whenever you want to." Becky turned her eyes towards the door and was surprised to see Shawn standing there, Rebecca and Cheyenne standing a little part behind him. He walked further in the room and came to give Becky a kiss on the cheek. "How are you this morning Becky?"  
Becky smiled. "I'm okay I suppose, how are you?"

Shawn shrugged. "Can't complain." He eyed his son. "You don't mind if we come visit you do you?"

Becky smiled, almost blushing as Shawn stared at her. She really had to stop being such a mark. "Of course not... it'll be nice to have some visitors every now and then."

"Well, you take care of yourself, and we'll come see you after your operation." Shawn kissed her head and moved aside to let Rebecca hug her. "We gotta get back, my parents are going crazy."

Becky laughed and accepted Cheyenne's hug, kissing her hair for good measure. "You be good cowgirl." Cheyenne grinned and bounced out the door, her parents following. Cameron still hadn't moved, instead he was just staring at something on the wall behind Becky, lost in his own thoughts.

"Earth to Cameron." Becky waved a hand in front of his face and he jumped slightly. "Shouldn't you be um, I dunno, leaving with your family?" She was shocked when Cameron launched himself into her arms. The sudden movement caused her entire body to spasm, and she groaned slightly as the pain trickled through her back and to her legs. "Steady on Cameron man, you trying to kill me?"

"Thank you." He whispered. Becky felt his arms tighten around her neck. "Thank you for saving me." He pulled away and Becky could see tears shining in his eyes. "I'll be over to see you as soon as you get out of your operation." He went to jump off the bed but Becky stopped him, placing a small kiss on his cheek, and she grinned as he blushed again.

"Take care kid, and don't go wandering through anymore parks late at night." Cameron was almost at the door when she called out to him. "And you're welcome."

Cameron shot her a smile and left, a few moments later, Melissa walked back in. "That kid has it bad for you."

Becky rolled her eyes. "He's just thankful that I saved his little ass, that's all."

Melissa shot her a "Yeah right." look before settling herself down next to Becky. "Whatever you say. But he looks at you with those same sappy puppydog eyes that you look at his father with." Becky smacked her on the arm and she giggled, before growing somber once more. "Are you gonna be okay today?"

Becky thought back to both what Cameron and Shawn said. They both promised her they would come see her as much as possible. Somehow, that made her feel better about the long road ahead of her.

"Yeah," She said eventually. "I think I might be fine."


	6. The Next Step

"Cameron! Slow down!"

Cameron reluctantly slowed his pace so that his father could catch up with him. Becky had been out of surgery for a couple of hours now, and Shawn had finally relented and agreed to take him to the hospital to see her for a short while. Shawn had tried to tell him that Becky might not want any visitors just yet, especially if the surgery hadn't been a complete success. This had made Cameron even more anxious to see her. He had to find out if the surgery had went well. He had to find out if Becky would ever walk again. He'd heard her talking to her friend the other day, when she said she wouldn't be able to cope living the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Cameron didn't want her to have to live with that, so he just wanted to get to Becky as soon as possible and hear her say everything was gonna be alright.

Shawn watched his son closely as they neared Becky's ward. He could tell his son had a slight crush on Becky, and he knew that Becky herself was fond of Cameron. But he was wary of letting Cameron spend too much time with Becky in case he became too attached. He didn't want his son bothering Becky at all times of the day but at the same time, he didn't want Cameron to be hurt or disappointed in anyway if Becky one day decided she didn't want Cameron visiting her anymore.

They reached Becky's hospital room and Cameron came to an abrupt halt. Shawn wondered what he had seen and as he glanced into the room, he understood why. He could see a young guy, in his early twenties at least, sitting next to Becky, seemingly in deep conversation. Shawn recognised him as Ted Dibiase's youngest son, Mike. And he suppressed a chuckle at the slightly annoyed look on his sons face.

"Just go in." Shawn nudged him forward. "She's awake and talking, so it can't be all that bad. I'll wait out here." Cameron shot him a scared look. "If you don't want to go talk to her then we can just go home-" The sentence had barely even left Shawn's mouth before Cameron had rushed into the room. He smirked and leant against the wall to wait for him to come back out. He could hardly remember his first crush, but it was still fun to see his son go through this phase of his life.

Becky looked up in surprise as Cameron burst into her room. She grinned as he came forward, a little nervously, and stood near her bedside. "Well hello there, I was hoping I'd see you today."

"I came to see how your surgery went." Cameron said, glancing at Mike, who smiled warmly at him.

"Hey, I'm Mike." Cameron just stared at him, and Mike raised his eyebrows slightly. "I take it you must be Cameron." Cameron just nodded, and Mike shot Becky a slightly amused look.

Cameron was being quieter than usual, and she wondered why. She saw him shoot another wary, slightly jealous glance towards Mike and she suddenly understood. She hid her smile as Mike got to his feet and held out his hand. "I'm glad you're feeling better after what happened, and I have to thank you for keeping my girl happy while I couldn't be here." Becky scowled slightly at the "my girl" moniker. Technically Becky wasn't Mike's girl and hadn't been for a while. Sure they spent the odd night together but it was never anything exclusive. Becky wasn't one to do relationships and she had told Mike that again and again. But clearly, he just couldn't take no for an answer. She knew Cameron wouldn't talk unless Mike left the room, so she shot Mike a pointed glance.

"I'll just go get some coffee." Mike got to his feet and shot Becky a questioning look. Becky shrugged her shoulders apologetically and waited till he had left the room before turning her attention back to Cameron.

"Are you just gonna stand there all day or are you gonna come over and give me a hug?" Cameron walked over and hugged her, after she told him to be gentle, because she was in a lot of pain. He sat down next to her and scooted his chair as close as he could to Becky's bed.

"How did it go?" He asked. Becky could see he was almost bouncing off the walls in his anxiety to know how it went. Becky sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She was still only slightly groggy from the medication and the pain in her lower back was almost unbearable. She had less feeling in her legs than she had the previous night and she hoped to God it didn't last.

"It went okay." Becky said eventually. Cameron could see she was lying and he glared at her until she rolled her eyes. "Okay, it didn't go as well as everyone had hoped."

"Why not?" Cameron asked indignantly, angry that the doctors couldn't magically fix her so that she could walk again. "What exactly could go wrong?"

"They had hoped that by fusing the discs, I'd get some feeling back in my legs." Becky said dryly. "It hasn't."

"But is it not too soon?" Cameron asked with a frown. "How can they tell right now whether or not it's worked? Shouldn't they wait another while?"

"My nerve endings are shot," Becky said gently. "They didn't know this until they started the fusion. It'll be a while before the nerves will be good enough for me to feel anything... they don't have a clue how long it'll be before I can walk again." Cameron looked dejected, which caused Becky to frown. "Hey, I'm over it. I get it. I won't walk again. I'll be stuck an invalid. That's cool. I can deal with that. I just need to take things slow and take them one day at a time..." When Cameron still didn't say anything, she sighed theatrically. "Cameronnn," She drew out his name, which finally made him smile. "Don't come visit me just to sit there dour-faced all day. What have you been doing now that you're free? Have you been teasing your poor sister?"

Cameron relayed his activities of the past few days while Becky listened, fighting sleep that her body craved. When Becky felt her eyes beginning to droop, Shawn suddenly appeared, berating Cameron for taking up so much of her time. Cameron didn't want to go, but Shawn seemed determined to have him leave.

"Becky needs her rest." Shawn said sternly. To Becky, he added. "We'll stop bye again another day, you just catch up on your sleep."

"It was fine Shawn." Becky yawned. "I had fun. Thank you both for coming." She hugged them both and watched them leave. The moment they were out the door, Mike reappeared.

"Someone got mighty jealous when he saw me." Mike smirked, and Becky rolled her eyes.

"He's just a little wary around guys that's all." Becky caught herself before she mentioned Drake's name. "The thugs that beat him up were all big and clumsy like you, you can understand why he'd be wary."

Mike just laughed and took her hand. "So how are you feeling now?"

Becky shrugged, which sent another slither of pain down her spine. "I dunno. I mean, I keep trying to pretend to myself that it'll all be okay, and that it'll all work out somehow. But really, I don't think I've even taken this seriously yet. I don't think it's properly sunk in yet that I'm never ever gonna walk or wrestle again." She sighed and let her head fall back onto her pillow. "Being crippled sucks."

"It won't be forever babe." Mike said gently, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "The doctor said himself that there's a chance you will walk again one day in the future."

"How far in the future?" Becky asked, not being able to hide the bitterness in her voice. "Ten years? Twenty? When I'm old and bent over and I no longer have a life?" Becky stopped herself from launching into a full rant and instead stayed silent. Melissa had warned Mike that she was very reluctant to talk about her injury, and was being her usual self and just bottling everything up inside. He could see her eyes drooping and see her fighting sleep off, so he leant over and kissed her forehead.

"You get some sleep, and I'll be back soon." Becky didn't answer, she was already asleep. Mike turned back at the door and watched her for a few moments. She was in great spirits for someone who was now a cripple. But Mike knew her well enough that it was just an act she was putting on. And sooner or later, her act would break.

He just hoped she'd be able to cope once it did.


	7. A New Home

Becky stared at her fellow trainer in shock. "Mick, I really can't ask you to do that."

Mick just glared at her. "I'm not asking for your permission. I want you to come live with me, that way I'll be able to take care of you." Becky turned to Dr Richards in despair, and Dr Richards cleared his throat.

"It would take round the clock care for Becky, Mr Coulter." He said slowly. "It would be a hard job and it would be time-consuming, meaning it would leave not much time for anything else... especially for the first few months as Becky has to get used to being in a wheelchair and getting around without the use of her legs." Mick just rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you mean well, but I don't think Becky living with you would be the best thing for either of you."

"Well I'm all she's got here dammit." Mick growled, glaring at Dr Richards. "I don't want her living in some cripple home, or just living all on her own with nowhere to go. I know how hard it'll be and I'm willing to put up with it." Becky felt tears in her eyes at her friends sincerity. "I want to look after her. I know I can look after her so what's the Goddamn problem."

Dr Richards glanced at Becky, who shrugged helplessly. "I'm sure we can work something out for the first couple of months. If by then it's not working out, Becky there are two beautiful lodges that are especially for disabled people, you would love it there."

While Becky didn't exactly like the thought of being among a bunch of crippled people just like her all of the time, the thought of being a burden to Mick 24/7 was even less appealing to her. "Mick, I really don't want to be a burden to you. I don't want to drag you down."

"Kid, you won't-"

"Yes I will!" Becky burst out angrily. "If you have to look after me all the time it will affect your center and it'll affect your promotion and I can't do that to you Mick! I can't stop you from travelling the world. I can't keep you away from the business. Let me finish." She added as Mick opened his mouth to speak. "You don't know what it's like to be ripped away from doing something you love but I do, okay? And I know how it feels and it sucks. So I am not being the reason that you get ripped from what you love to do, I'm not gonna do it!"

Mick was beginning to get angry, Becky could tell. But before he could speak, the three of them heard another voice join in the fray.

"Is everything okay in here?"

Becky glanced to the door and was relieved to see Shawn standing there, Cameron by his side. "Hey Becky."

Becky smiled and accepted Cameron's hug. "Hey Cameron."

"Are you excited?" Cameron asked with a grin. "To be getting out of here on Friday I mean?"

Becky smiled half-heartedly. "Once I find out where I'm going then yeah, I will be." Cameron looked confused. "Don't ask kid."

"Michaels, would you rather Becky be in a halfway house or living with me while she gets better?" Shawn looked confused and Dr Richards quickly jumped in. "It's not a halfway house."

"It might as well be." Mick spat angrily. "I don't want her living with a bunch of cripples and having no proper freedom or life. I want her to live with me and then when she's confident in taking care of herself, she can move out! It's simple!"

"Would you stop with the whole cripple thing?" Becky said angrily. "In case you haven't noticed, _I'm_ a cripple now too."

"Becky, calm down." Dr Richards instructed.

"Why don't we all calm down and sit down and talk about this rationally?" Shawn reasoned. Mick and Dr Richards both sighed before taking seats next to Becky's bed. Shawn and Cameron sat on her left side. "Okay, now, Becky, where do you want to go?"

Becky balked as all their attention was suddenly on her. She tried to collect her thoughts before speaking. "Well, I mean, I don't really like the idea of going to that lodge place-"

"HA!" Mick said triumphantly, but shut up after recieving a death glare from Becky.

"BUt I don't want to be a burden to Mick either." She countered. "And before you say it, yes I will be." Mick scowled. "I don't want to stop you from living your life the way you want to Mick and that's what I'll do. I don't really have much option but I think I'm gonna go to the lodge."

Dr Richards seemed pleased, but before he could get a word in, Cameron spoke up.

"Why don't you come live with us?"

They all stared at him in shock. Becky was staring at him warmly while the doctor and his father both stared at him in surprise, Mick just smirked at him in sheer amusement.

"Live with you?" Becky repeated. "Cameron, that's not a good-"

"Why not?" Cameron asked, turning to his father. "Why can't she come live with us dad? We've got room. We've got plenty of room and Cheyenne and I can keep her company when we come home from school and mom can look after her while I'm away." He turned back to the doctor with pleading eyes. "My dad could carry her upstairs if she ever needed to go up there. He's strong enough, aren't you dad?" Shawn still looked shocked, but Becky could see something stirring in his eyes, and she didn't like it.

"Cameron, no, shut up. Stop this." She felt bad at seeing Cameron's face fall, but she plowed on anyway. "I can't live with you guys okay? As Dr Richards said, for the first couple of months I'll need constantly looked after. I can't do anything for myself yet! And I need to get used to using that..." She gulped and struggled to spit the word out. "That thing. So really, the lodge is the only logical option."

"But Becky," Cameron whined. "We would look after you, we could do it!"

Becky turned to Shawn helplessly, hoping for support.

"You know, it's not a bad idea."

Becky gaped at him. Was he serious? "You have got to be kidding me!"

"No, Becky, think about it." Shawn said quietly. "Becca and I are home all the time, and like Cameron said, we have the room, he have the abilities. Money wouldn't be an option when it comes to looking after you and I'm sure it'll do you good to be around people you know everyday." Becky held her head in her hands in despair. "What do you think Doctor?"

Becky stared at the Doctor, begging him to disagree. "It would be entirely yours and Becky's decision... but as long as you have the time and willpower to help her, then I really don't see much of a problem, at least for a couple of months anyway."

"Please Becky." Cameron stared at her with sad eyes, just one glance at them had her breaking. "Please come live with us. I promise we'll look after you. You'll enjoy living with us more than living in that lodge, and if you live with us it means you can see Mick whenever you want to." Cameron glanced to Mick, who nodded thoughtfully. "Mom wouldn't mind would she?" Cameron asked, turning to his father.

Shawn shrugged. "I'd need to talk it over with her but I'm sure she'd agree. We all care about you Becky and we want to make sure you have the best care possible."

"Which would be in this lodge." Becky said again, feeling exhausted with merely the conversation. "I don't want to be a burden on anyone Shawn and while I really appreciate it, I don't want you to think you owe this to me just because I helped your son."

"That's not it at all." Shawn said sharply. "We care about you, all of us and I think it's clear to see my son loves you." Cameron blushed slightly but they all pretended not to notice. "We want you to be happy and I think Cameron's right when he says you won't be as happy in that lodge place than you will living in San Antonio with us."

"Becky, please." Cameron gave her those eyes again, and her resolve finally crumbled.

"Alright fine!" She threw her hands up in the air. "Fine, if Rebecca doesn't mind then yes, I will come live with you." She stared Shawn right in the eye. "The moment I become a problem to you, I want you to tell me."

"Deal." Shawn shook her hand then left with the doctor for them to discuss just what exactly went into taking care of Becky on a daily basis.

"So you won't come live with me but you'll go live with the heartbreak kid?" Mick said, a teasing smile on his face.

Becky rolled her eyes playfully. "Mick, you and I both know you never stick in the one place for long. At least this way you can come see me and take me out for the day." Mick nodded and wished her well, hugging her goodbye before leaving, ruffling Cameron's hair on his way past. Becky glanced at Cameron and saw a huge goofy grin on his face, which caused her to laugh.

"You are lucky I can't move man, otherwise I'd toe your ass so bad." Cameron just giggled. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"Don't try deny that you won't have fun." Cameron said with a grin. "You're gonna love living with us." He noticed that Becky was rather quiet, and he frowned. "What's wrong?"  
Becky started slightly and smiled at him. "Nothing, I'm just thinking."

"About??"

"About what it'll be like never walking again." Becky said, a frown taking over her face. "I'm trying to imagine what it'll be like just having to be wheeled around all day everyday... it's kinda weird to think about it." She closed her eyes for a few moments, and Cameron felt apprehensive. Usually Becky kept her sadness away from him and always tried to stay upbeat when he was around, to try spare his feelings or something. It wasn't like he was fragile or anything. He just wasn't used to seeing her so down... it was slightly unnerving. "It's gonna be a long journey and it's gonna be so hard and to be quite honest I don't know if I have enough willpower to get through it."

Cameron frowned sympathetically and gripped her hand tightly. "You will get through it, we'll be here to help you get through it."

Becky smiled and squeezed his hand back. "I hope so." After a few moments of silence, Shawn came back in the room, the doctor behind him.

"I just spoke to Becca." Shawn could barely contain his excitement. "And she says she's happy to have you come live with us. She said she'll do anything and everything she can do to help you get better."

Becky smiled, beginning to feel slightly excited herself. It was growing contagious from the way Cameron was bouncing around the room, goofy smile still plastered to his face.

"So it's settled." Dr Richards said with a small smile. "On Friday, you're going to live with Mr and Mrs Hickenbottom."

Cameron squealed in glee and Becky laughed.

"Yeah.... I guess I am."


	8. A Breakdown

"Dammit Cameron take it easy!"

Cameron bit his lip as he tried to maneuver Becky's wheelchair through the bottom half of his house. "I'm sorry! It's just so bulky."

"Let me do it." Shawn intervened, taking the handles of Becky's wheelchair and pushing forwards. "This is where we usually watch television late at night. This is also where we watch RAW and Smackdown every week."

Becky was in awe of the huge mansion, and she was actually pretty pleased that she had agreed to live here. It was some sweet digs.

Shawn showed her the kitchen, the bathroom, the dining room and the sitting room before taking her back through to the front room where Rebecca and Cheyenne were waiting. Rebecca noticed the dark circles under Becky's eyes and frowned slightly.

"I think that's enough of a tour for now." Shawn glanced down at Becky and saw how tired she was. He should have known so much activity would tire her out, especially as she had spent the past two weeks lying in bed doing nothing but be in pain. "We'll take you to your room Becky and you can rest a little bit."

Becky smiled at her gratefully as Shawn wheeled her to a room at the back of the house. "We moved my office upstairs, it isn't much right now but I'm sure in time we can make it yours." Becky glanced round at the spacious little room and felt herself tearing up slightly.

"What's wrong?" Cameron asked anxiously. He hated seeing her cry, even though he'd only seen it once... he still didn't like to see her upset. Despite Becky's constant reassurance, he still felt like Becky's injury was entirely his fault.

"This is just the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me." Shawn and Rebecca shared a smile as Cameron puffed up with pride. "And now I feel stupid for getting like this." She chuckled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Well, make yourself at home, and I'll come get you in an hour or so." Shawn helped her onto her bed, which was low down on the floor to help her get from her chair to her bed when she finally learned to do that. He kissed her head out of habit and walked to the door. "Come on you two." Cameron and Cheyenne left reluctantly, and due to the long day and all the excitement, Becky's head had barely touched the pillow before she was already sleeping soundly.

When Becky next woke up, the house seemed very quiet. It took a moment for her to gather her bearings, but when she did, and she remembered where she was, she settled back into the pillows with a content sigh. After a few moments, when she felt fully awake, she tried wriggling her toes. Nothing. She tried to move her legs at all, still nothing. The pain in her back had subsided to a constant dull throb. And she could no longer feel anything from the waist down. If she was blind, it would seem as though she didn't have any legs at all. What the hell was she gonna do with the rest of her life if she couldn't even walk?

It suddenly hit her full force.

She was never gonna wrestle again.

Nor was she ever gonna walk again.

She was crying before she could even try to stop the tears. She felt angry at herself. How could she have been so stupid to not fully believe everything everyone had been trying to tell her? She had been so naive, thinking maybe the doctors were wrong. Hoping against hope that she'd wake up day after day and be able to just get up out of bed like a normal human being and walk around, go about her normal duties. She then felt horrible for thinking that. People who couldn't walk weren't abnormal, just different. But she didn't want to be this different. She hated wallowing in self-pity like this, but the tears just would not stop. Why did this have to happen to her? She had nothing left to look forward to in life anymore if she couldn't do what she loved to do. All that was left was for Drake to come kidnap her from the Hickenbottoms and torture her. Going by her luck, that wouldn't be unlikely. Maybe she should just throw herself off a bridge, end everyone's misery.

She snorted with the realisation that she wouldn't even be able to kill herself on her own. She would always be a burden to somebody. Why had she been so crazy as to accept Shawn and Rebecca's offer? She was gonna hinder them in so many ways for such a long time. She shouldn't have listened to Cameron. Why was it that the kid could get under her skin so much anyway?

"B-becky?" She turned at the timid voice and wasn't particularly surprised to see Cameron peering round the door. She knew he had probably been creeping around outside, hoping to come talk to her the moment he knew she was awake.

"Hey kid." She tried to wipe her tears away but more just kept coming. Where was Melissa when she needed her? Becky was in major need of a vent, of someone to offload her anger onto. She couldn't do that to poor Cameron. But she knew if she had to keep her anger and anguish inside for much longer, she'd surely snap. She wasn't walking again. She wasn't wrestling again.

Her life was over.

"Why are you crying?" Becky could tell he was wary to come too close to her. Despite how close they'd become over the past couple of weeks, Cameron still blamed himself for Becky's disability. Even if he didn't say anything, Becky could tell. She had given up trying to reassure him, but now she realised that maybe it would be beneficial both for herself as well as him if she made sure that he felt no responsibility for what had happened.

"Come here, Cameron, please." Cameron still looked wary, but did as she asked, closing the door softly behind him as he scampered over to her bed. "Can you help me sit up?" He slid his arms underneath her shoulders and gently tugged her up into a sitting position. Becky was actually quite surprised at how he was able to do so with such ease. Perhaps he'd inherited his fathers strength after all. "Sit down." Cameron went to sit on the bed, but then realising Becky's legs couldn't move to let him sit, he went and grabbed a chair and dragged it over, so that he was sitting as close to Becky as physically possible. Becky saw the sincerity in his eyes and the will to please, and she couldn't help but cry harder. This little boy was just constantly so sweet to her, and the thought of him still blaming himself over her accident... it made her heart break. Because she didn't know what she could do to comfort him, when she so desperately needed comforting himself.

"Becky, please don't cry." Cameron said in a small voice. He reached out and patted her hand gingerly, but this only seemed to make Becky cry harder. "I'm so sorry that you can't walk, I'm so so sorry!"

"It's not your fault!" Becky sobbed, holding out her arms for him to hug her. He did so without hesitation, praying to the Lord that she would stop crying soon. "Please stop blaming yourself Cam, it makes me feel so much worse."

"I'm sorry," Cameron whispered, tears beginning to form in his own eyes. He blinked them away furiously. How much of a little kid would he look if he started crying? He had to be strong. He had to be there for Becky. He may only be thirteen, but he knew that Becky didn't have all that many people in her life that she loved. He couldn't imagine not being surrounded by loved ones, and that's why it made him all the more intent on giving her a proper home with a proper family for however long she needed it. "Please don't be upset, please stop crying."

"Why did this have to happen to me?" Becky sobbed. She knew she was doing a terrible thing. Cameron was just a kid. Breaking down on him like this would more than likely traumatise him. "I've only ever had wrestling in my life and now I can't even do that." She choked on her own tears and Cameron grew scared. It was like a never-ending river flowing from her eyes, the tears would just not stop. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to leave her alone but he didn't want to stay either. She was scaring him and he didn't like being scared. He had never felt so young and helpless in all his life. What was he going to do?

"Cameron, give us a minute." Cameron turned gratefully to see his mom and dad standing at the door, both gazing at Becky in concern. Cameron slid away from Becky and walked towards them, continuously shooting glances back at Becky, who hadn't ceased in her crying but was now covering her face, mortified at breaking down like this.

"Make her stop crying." He heard Cheyenne plead. "I don't like it when she cries."

"Both of you go with your mom to the sitting room." Shawn commanded gently. He saw his son open his mouth to protest and shot him a pointed look. "Please Cameron." Cameron reluctantly nodded and took his mothers hand as she led both him and his sister to the other side of the house. Shawn quietly closed the door behind him and walked forward, sliding Becky over a little bit so that he could fully take her into his arms to hold tightly. Becky revelled in the close contact. She needed nothing more than for someone to hold her right now, to hug her so tight that she could feel all the bones in her body crush together. Well, not all of the bones. She wouldn't be able to feel her back and her legs, to her body's mind, they no longer existed.

Shawn sighed as she suddenly started crying harder. He had been wondering and waiting for this moment. The moment were everything finally sunk in and she broke down. The doctors, her friends and even his own wife had warned him that it would be a very hard breakdown to recover from. Becky was young and vivacious and full of life... and in one fail swoop she had had it all taken away from her. It wasn't fair. Shawn knew fine well there was a reason for everything, but holding the bitter, broken, alone young girl in his arms made him seriously question that theory. He knew Becky couldn't see the silver lining to this particular cloud, and he was having trouble doing so himself.

"Talk to me." Shawn muttered, running a soothing hand over her hair. "Tell me how you feel."

"I hate how I feel." Becky whispered back. "I hate how I feel and I hate what's happened and I hate my life because I have no life anymore! My life is over!"

"Your life is not over." Shawn corrected gently. "We just have to work together to help you get over this."

"I shouldn't be burdening you." Shawn could hear the contempt in her voice, and he knew that pretty soon her grief would turn to anger. But he was willing to sit it out with her, because one time, a long time ago, he had been in the exact same position that she had. "I shouldn't be asking you and Becca to take care of me, I can't believe I agreed to this. I'm so sorry Shawn, I'm so sorry for making this affect you as much as it's affected me."

"Whether or not you lived here now, it would still have affected us." Shawn said gently, neither one of them making a move to let go of the other. "Like it or not, you most likely saved my sons life. I still shudder to think what might have happened to him if you hadn't come along... You... you saved him Becky, and for that, there's no end of gratitude from me and Bec." Becky's crying began to cease and Shawn said a prayer of thanks, he was worried that she might start to heave if she kept on crying when her body had long ago ran out of tears. "My son is infatuated with you and my daughter loves you too. Like it or not, you would have been stuck with us in your life even if you hadn't lost the power to walk." Her body tensed up and Shawn held in a breath, thankful when she didn't start crying again. "We want to help you and we want to look after you not just because you saved our son, but because we've come to care for you a lot. And I hope you realise that." Becky moved her head so that she was looking up at Shawn, and he could tell she was trying to make out whether he was being sincere or not.

"I just.. don't want you guys to resent me if I ever get too much to handle." Becky mumbled, feeling suddenly ashamed for crying all over this man. This man who, technically, she knew nothing about other than the useless bits of trivia she had picked up over her many years of being a fan of his. She doubted he knew much about her at all, because there was no way in hell he would have heard about her before now.

"Trust me, you'll hear it from one of us if you do." He was glad to see the ghost of a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "It's okay to feel angry you know. To feel upset. I know what you're going through." He saw her face, and made to alter his statement. "I mean, obviously I've never been told I'll never walk again but I have been told-"

"That you'll never wrestle again." Becky sighed and held her head in her hands. "Of course. I'm so selfish aren't I?"

Shawn shook his head adamantly. "Not at all. You have every right to be this way. It's a hard thing to come to terms with. It's even harder when you've been trying your best to bottle all your emotions up until they make you combust."

She sighed. "I've probably terrified Cameron out of his wits haven't I?" She glanced out the window and then back at Shawn. "I'm still angry. I don't think I'll ever stop being angry. I had so many plans y'know? Plans to totally dominate the WWE."

Shawn smiled. "Yeah?"

She nodded, and Shawn could almost see her regression right in front of his eyes as she slowly put her emotions away and locked them up inside, never to be seen nor heard from ever again. She was a very disclosed person he had noticed, and Shawn knew there had to be a reason. He also had a strange feeling that he didn't particularly want to know the reason behind it. "I had plans to wrestle Nat Neidhart, and we'd have this fued over female dominancy. But then I'd insult Bret in a promo, and because I'm such a big fan of yours, she'd insult you and I'd deck her." Shawn chuckled and she grinned back at him. "So then it'd go on for weeks and weeks us both showing loyalty to you and Bret and really becoming more and more annoyed with each other as it progressed, until eventually you came down one day and put Nat in her place." Shawn watched as her eyes lit up, fantasizing about a dream that could no longer come to fruition. "You'd wind her up and we'd almost come to blows and then Bret would come out, and Nat would challenge me to a fight at Survivor Series, with you and Bret in our corners." Shawn smirked, wondering if Bret would ever really go for that if it did indeed happen. "I was also hoping that the PPV would be held in Montreal, but that would just be my imagination running wild." She laughed and sighed, staring down at her hands. "But I guess that'll never happen now. And I don't know how I'm ever gonna accept that."

"It gets better." Shawn said gently. "Once you get used to the anger and the bitterness, it all starts to fade. You just have to try focus on something better, something that makes you happy."

Becky thought about Cameron, and how she'd be able to spend time with the kid now that she lived under the same roof as him. She also thought about Melissa, and how she'd be able to talk to her friend on the phone all the time, maybe even help her when it came to creative ideas for Shimmer. She then thought about Mick, and how she'd be able to spend time with him when he wasn't touring around the world teaching people how to wrestle. She would have a lot more free time on her hands, free time that she could use to be there more for her friends. These thoughts made her smile, and she began to see that maybe crying was the best thing for her right now. She wasn't a crier. She never cried. But maybe, just maybe today, crying would be okay.

"And for you it was Rebecca, right?" Shawn smiled and nodded as he thought back to meeting his wife of twelve years.

"There's always something or somebody that matters more than wrestling." Becky nodded thoughtfully as Shawn gave her another firm hug. "And hopefully, those somebodys can be us four."

Becky gazed at him with warm, trusting eyes. "Thank you for everything Shawn, you really have no idea what you've done for me."

Shawn smiled and kissed her softly on the cheek as he got to her feet. "You don't have to thank me. Just please know you can talk to me and Bec about anything, and I mean that, okay? Please know that we'll always be here for you no matter what." Becky nodded and forced a smile on her face, knowing there was just some things neither him or Rebecca would ever know. "I'm gonna go now, would you like to come into the sitting room?"

Becky shook her head. "Not right now, I just want to be alone for a little bit if that's okay?" Shawn nodded and headed towards the door, turning back when he heard her call out his name again. "Tell Cameron I'm sorry for breaking down on him like that."

Shawn just laughed. "He won't mind, he knows as well as we do that the best thing for you right now is letting all your emotions out. Just don't keep them bottled up like that again okay?" Becky nodded and then Shawn left, and she was glad to be alone again. She thought about going into another downer, maybe getting angry this time and screaming and throwing things, but she was too exhausted to even properly think about doing so. Her body was spent. Crying would do that to you. She tried to wriggle a little bit until she was lying down, but found it quite impossible to move. She sighed in frustration as tears pricked her eyes again.

"No!" She muttered softly to herself. "You will not feel pity for yourself!"

So she did the only thing she could do at that moment.

She fell asleep with her back against the headrest, her head falling gently onto her own shoulder.


	9. Baby Steps Forward

"Morning sunshine!"

Becky groaned at the pain in her neck, the kinks all beginning to form as she tried to crack it to get it less stiff. "Why did you sleep like that?"

She bit her lip to bite back the sarcastic, curse-word-filled retort that was seconds away from leaving her lips. "I was reading, must've fell asleep."

Cameron glanced around and noticed no books nearby. He also noticed that Becky's bags were still lying near the door and still zipped shut. "Uh, right."

"Why the early wake up call anyway?" Becky said with another groan, she had stupidly tried to swing her legs out the side of the bed and when it hadn't worked, her back had locked none too kindly, sending a jarring sensation all the way up her spine to her already insanely stiff neck and shoulders.

"Early?" Cameron repeated, gazing at her in disbelief. "It's nearly eleven o'clock!"

Becky just stared at him. "I don't even want to know what time you normally wake up at."

"Mom's made breakfast, she wanted to know if you wanna eat in here or in the dining room with us." Cameron chattered on, heading over to the window and pulling the blind up. Becky squinted as the early Texas sunshine hit her face, and she contemplated staying holed up in her bedroom for maybe another day. That didn't sound too bad now did it?

"Tell your mom as much as it smells good, I'll pass on the breakfast." Becky said, attempting to move herself off the bed. Cameron came round and instantly helped her so that she was parrallel to her wheelchair. They both struggled and tried their best and despite it killing her arms - two weeks off the bench press and already her muscles had turned to mush - she managed to get herself into her chair, the jarring in her back only seemed to increase and she actually had to bite her lip to prevent herself from crying out in pain. "And if you would be an angel, could you please bring me a coffee in here? Black preferably."

Cameron's face fell slightly when she declined the offer to join the Hickenbottom's for breakfast. But he nodded and headed out the door, returning a few moments later with a small portable tray and a coffee in hand. "My mom says she'll make you some muffins anyway just in case you get hungry. And I'm gonna eat in here with you." He added, gazing at Becky intently to see her reaction.

Becky just shrugged. "If you like, as long as your mom doesn't mind." She took a long sip of her coffee and groaned. Hospital coffee sucked. "This is so good."

"She doesn't mind." Rebecca said as she poked her head round the door. "Are you sure you don't want any breakfast sweetie? There's plenty to go around?"

Becky just smiled. "No thanks Rebecca, I'm not really a morning person and breakfast usually makes me hurl."

"I hear ya." Shawn said as he sauntered into the room, Cameron's breakfast in hand. "Don't be wafting this under Becky's nose Cameron, we don't want her puking up all over herself." Becky stuck her tongue out to Shawn as he placed the plate down in front of Cameron and handed Becky a small dish of muffins. "She won't let you go without attempting to convince you to eat a muffin, so just take them from me to humor her." Shawn ducked out of the way of his wife's arm and came round to kiss her, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. Cameron just rolled his eyes at his parents display and gladly tucked into his food.

"Where's the little cowgirl?" Becky asked, trying to avoid looking at the insanely loved up couple. Looking at them instantly made her think of Mike. Which was weird. It wasn't as though her and Mike were anything but - excuse the language - fuck buddies. She hadn't seen him in over a week and she wasn't used to it. She was used to him popping up at the most inappropriate moments and having him gone for an entire week had been a shock to her system. She inwardly laughed at the thought. She was now paralysed and living with her idol. And not seeing her on-off boyfriend for six days was what shocked her system?

"In the den, refusing to move away from the television and Dora the Explorer." Cameron said with a mocking roll of his eyes. "What is she, six?"

"Cameron." Shawn said warningly. "What did I tell you about being mean to your sister?"

Cameron opened his mouth to argue back but caught sight of Becky, who was shaking her head. "Sorry, dad."

Shawn and Becca shared a look of amusement before turning to Becky. "How do you do it?"

"The perks to saving someone's life." Becky joked, wincing slightly as she turned her body. She hoped no-one noticed, but her hope was in vain.

"What's wrong?" Shawn demanded, seeing the pained expression on her face. "Are you hurting?"

"My backs locked." Becky said through gritted teeth. "It's killing me and I can't move to work the kinks out of it."

Shawn frowned and went away to find his muscle relaxer machine, while Cameron piped up. "Mom can give you a massage. She does it to dad whenever his back hurts, right mom?"

Becky and Rebecca caught each others gaze and both turned away to stifle their sniggers as Shawn re-entered the room.

"I can't find it, but why don't we get you in the pool? I was talking to Doc this morning and he said that would be great for your muscles."

Becky hesitated. "But I don't have a swimsuit with me."  
Shawn glanced over at his wife and then back to Becky. "I'm sure Becca could find one that would fit, right Becs?" Rebecca nodded and went to go fish out a spare swimsuit.

"Daddd," Cameron whined. "Can we not wait till I'm done eating?"

"It's okay Cam, it'll take me a while getting into it anyway." Becky grabbed a muffin and took a small bite, groaning as the taste filled her mouth. "These are heavenly."

Shawn beamed with pride and left to go check on Cheyenne. The room was silent as Cameron continued to demolish his breakfast while Becky tried to figure out how she was gonna get in her swimsuit and then into the pool by herself. Shawn would have to lift her in the pool, she realised. God, how embarrassing. Here she was, an eighteen year-old super-mark, and her idol was having to pick her up and carry her around everywhere like a child.

"Cameron, you don't think I'll hurt your dad if he has to lift me places do you?" Cameron hastily tried to swallow down the piece of bacon he had just been chewing, so he could answer her quickly, which caused him to begin choking wildly.

"Ahhh dammit kid, I could have waited a minute or two for you to finish eating." Cameron continued to thrash comically on the floor as he tried to dislodge the piece of food from his throat. "Come here you little moron." Cameron crawled over and she wacked his back a couple of times, eventually the bacon came flying out his mouth and landed with a splat on his tray. "Chew properly next time."

"He won't get hurt." Cameron wheezed, massaging his neck as he finally managed to breathe. "He's still really strong. And you're pretty light."

Becky stared at him in amusement. "Light? Cam I'm like a hundred and fifty five pounds, and that's just now, wait till I start gaining weight day after day after day."

"Why would you do that?" Cameron asked with a confused expression on his face. He dragged his food over so that he could be close to Becky, aware that she didn't seem to like being too far apart from anyone and out of touching distance. "You aren't fat!"

Becky smirked, he was so innocent it was sickening. "I know I'm not. But if I can't exercise anymore, and if your mom continues her attempt at shoving all her delicious food into my belly, I'm definitely gonna put on more weight. And I don't wanna hurt your dads back anymore than it already is hurting by having him lift my fat ass around everywhere."

"Hence why the pool could do you a lot of good, miss fatty." Rebecca teased, re-entering the room and handing her the swimsuit. "Once Cameron's finished his breakfast send him out, I'll come help you change."

"I'm sure I can manage." Becky said dryly, feeling guilty as a slightly resentful feeling manifested in her gut. Rebecca was only trying to help. It wasn't her fault she could no longer do anything for herself. She felt so vulnerable and helpless in that one moment that the good mood she'd been in seemed to vanish in an instant, and in its place came the sullen, depressed, bitter and angry feelings she had been feeling the previous night.

"If you don't want to go in the pool it's okay." Rebecca must have sensed her shift in mood, because she was now staring at Becky through concern-filled eyes. "We don't want to push you too hard, whenever you feel ready to move around the house you can. I don't want you to feel you have to do things just because we asked."

Despite how appealing the thought of lying in bed all day everyday never having to talk to another person again was, she could see Cameron's hopeful eyes gazing at her. The kid hadn't gotten to talk to her properly since she'd left the hospital the previous morning. She owed it to him to at least spend a little bit of time with him.

"I'll come for a little while, but I dunno how long I'll be able to last. These painkillers still manage to knock me out after a coupla hours." Becky took another bite of her muffin as Cameron quickly gobbled up the rest of the food. "What did I tell you about chewing?"

"I need to give it time to digest before I can get in the pool." Cameron said with a fake pout. "So I wanna finish it now and by the time you're ready, I'll be allowed in too!"

"If you splash my face I swear to hell I will kill you." Becky muttered as Rebecca wheeled her across the landing to the bathroom. Rebecca went to follow her in, but Becky hastily put up her hands. "I'll give it a shot myself first Becca if you don't mind." Rebecca smiled and nodded encouragingly, causing Becky to sigh in relief.

"I'll be right outside sweetie, just keep the door unlocked and holler if you need me."

Becky found it sweet that Rebecca had thought to hand her a two piece, although she didn't know what she was gonna do when she actually got in the pool. Was she just gonna sit in the water and watch Cameron splash around? Or was Shawn actually gonna carry her around the pool letting her muscles relax? While the fan-girl in her definitely liked the sound of that, she wondered how awkward Shawn might feel if she was showing so much skin in a two piece.

She managed to get the bikini top on alright, although her shoulders were aching and stiff from the way she had slept the night before. Getting her track pants off proved to be a slight dilemna, but after some wriggling, she managed it. She was so exhausted after doing so, she wondered if she'd even be able to get her bikini bottoms on before passing out. But thankfully, they had strings at the sides. All she had to do was slide them on one side and she called Rebecca in to tie the other side down.

"You look great, I was worried that maybe it wouldn't fit you up top." Rebecca explained as she wheeled Becky through the house to the back yard. Once again Becky admired her surroundings, unable to quite take in that she lived here now.

"Hey, we aren't all natural, but no-one has to know right?" Becky joked, and Rebecca laughed, knowing it wasn't the greatest decision but it was a result of the wrestling business. If you wanted to succeed, and you were a woman, breast implants were almost always the way to go. Becky hadn't had hers for long, but she was used to them. They didn't bother her in any way when she was wrestling, and she liked the way they looked in tube tops.

"Here we are." Becky's eyes were wide like saucers as she gazed at the huge pool and the surrounding decking. It was like something out of a holiday brochure. "Shawn'll be out in a minute, he's just making sure Cameron's tidied his room before he comes out." This caused Becky to chuckle. Despite him craving people to think otherwise, Cameron was still such a little kid and it seemed like his parents were constantly making a point to remind him of that fact. Becky found it quite endearing. His birthday was in a few weeks, she knew, and she knew she had to get him something special. It wasn't everyday you turned fourteen after all.

"Bonziiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Came an excited yell and then there was a huge splash, causing a few water droplets to hit Becky's knees.

"Cameron! You said we'd go together!" Came a whine from behind them. Rebecca turned the wheelchair so that Becky could see Cameron swimming around, while Cheyenne stood patiently on the edge, waiting for her father to join her.

"Throw me in daddy!" She demanded as Shawn appeared at the back door. Shawn rolled his eyes playfully before picking his daughter up and tossing her unceremoniously into the water, causing Cheyenne to shriek with laughter. Shawn turned his attention back to his wife and Becky, who smirked.

"Come to throw me in too daddy?" Shawn laughed and picked Becky up gently, holding her tightly in his strong arms. No matter how gentle he was however, he knew the movement was causing her pain, and he moved as quickly as he could so that they were at the edge of the pool.

"Do you wanna sit at the steps for a little bit or do you wanna float around?" He asked, stepping into the water slowly, letting Becky's body grow accustomed to the temperature.

Becky winced as the water lapped at her feet, causing them to react and twitch slightly. This sent her entire body into spasm and she could feel her back locking for the second time that day. "Can you put me down a minute Shawn? I don't think my legs like the water."

Shawn compiled and sat her down on the second step, so that her entire body from the waist down was submerged in water. Cameron noticed the pained expression on Becky's face and quickly paddled over to her, Cheyenne following closely behind.

"Are you okay Becky?" Cameron asked worriedly, reaching out and grabbing her hand in a comforting gesture. Cheyenne just watched the two of them in concern, wanting to swim around with her family but knowing that right now Becky's needs came first.

Becky tried to ignore the shooting pains going up and down her spine from the cold concrete and shot the kids a reassuring smile. "I'm fine kid, you go enjoy yourself."

"I can wait for you." Cameron responded almost immediately. The movement of the water from Cameron and Cheyenne's swimming was causing Becky's body to move in rythm with the slight waves, and each one pushed her back gently against the step above, causing her to grit her teeth each and everytime. Shawn sent a glance to his wife and shook his head, indicating that maybe moving Becky into the pool was too much too soon for her body to handle.

"I don't think I'll be doing much swimming today Cameron." Becky felt tears pricking her eyes and shut them tightly, willing herself not to cry from the pain. "I think what I need most right now is some painkillers and a good electric blanket." She noted the disappointed look on both Cameron and Cheyenne's face. "I'm sorry guys, hopefully I'll be able to float around a bit next time. Why don't you two go enjoy yourselves?"

"I'm not swimming if you can't either." Cameron said with a determined nod of his head. He planted himself down next to Becky and began gently rubbing her lower back, knowing from years past that it did his father a lot of good when his mother did this to him. "I don't want you to feel lonely."

Hearing Cameron's words onto made Becky squeeze her eyes shut tighter. "Thank you." She whispered, no longer having the energy to try convince him otherwise.

Shawn and Rebecca both watched this exchange with small smiles on their faces. It was obvious their son was head over heels in love with Becky, and Becky didn't seem to be annoyed or angered in anyway with Cameron's constant vying for her attention. Shawn was relieved, he knew Cameron would be crushed if Becky ever tried to tell him to back off. Cameron may only be thirteen, but Shawn had noticed in the short time he had known Becky that she didn't really enjoy being on the receiving end of so much attention. Hopefully, in time, as Cameron spent more time around Becky, his little puppy-love crush would pass, and they'd grow closer in a brother-sister type way. Shawn knew that was the only way Cameron would be able to cope if Becky ever brought her boyfriend over to the house in the future. They all sat in silence for a moment before Becky finally sighed and opened her eyes. Shawn asked immediately if she wanted to go back inside, but Becky shook her head, telling him that she was fine sitting in the pool for now.

"It's good to finally get some fresh air." Becky said with a watery chuckle. The pain was still unbearable, but she didn't want to worry Shawn anymore than she had already. "You three go have fun, I'll enjoy myself just watching you guys."

"How about you come further in?" Shawn suggested, pushing Cameron slightly so that he would get out the way. Cameron and Cheyenne both slid further into the water and watched, waiting to see if Becky would join them or not.

"I dunno, I can't just float about on my own." Becky said, eyeing the vast space of water warily.

"I wasn't expecting you to." Shawn replied gently, once more sliding his arms underneath her and lifting her up. He heard Becky suck in a breath and he winced. "Sorry, but if I get you in the water and you just keep your arms around my neck, it'll help loosen up all your joints."

Becky waited till Shawn was fully in the pool before placing her arms around his neck like he asked. Tentatively, so as not to hurt her, Shawn slowly lowered her legs into the water, making sure to put a steadying arm around Becky's waist as her legs dangled limply beneath her.

Cameron frowned in concern as he heard Becky let out yet another hiss of pain. This was the first time her body had been straightened out like this since her operation, and her body was definitely finding some way of complaining after being moved from their comfortable position.

"Becky?" Cheyenne asked timidly. "Are you alright?"

"It hurts Shawn." Shawn had never heard Becky sound so quiet and unsure. "It hurts too much."

"Okay." Shawn immediately scooped her up and lifted her right out of the pool. "You did great today Becky, the doctor says anytime you do something different it's a step in the right direction. You did really really good."

"Well done Becky." Rebecca said encouragingly. She had covered a nearby deck chair in towels, which Shawn placed Becky's prone body onto, and pulled it out into the sunshine, giving Becky a chance to dry off without much effort on her own part. "We just need to take it a little bit at a time."

Becky was exhausted, but didn't want to go for a nap just yet. That would be rude. "Thank you guys so much for doing all this. You don't have to help me you know-"

"We know." Shawn cut in. "But we want to. You don't have another operation for another six or so weeks, so until that time, we'll have our own little physiotherapy sessions to keep your legs circulated alright? I'm having the Doc send some books and whatnot over so that we can get a better grasp of what we're dealing with here."

They're dealing with a cripple, Becky thought bitterly. Why must they be so nice to me? "Thank you anyway, you really don't know what you're doing for me."

Shawn and Rebecca shared a smile. "You're part of the family now Becky whether you like it or not." Becca squeezed Becky's shoulder slightly and helped dry off her arms and legs. "And I'm sure my son would like it if you stuck around for a little while longer."

As if on cue, Cameron yelled at her from inside the pool. "Becky! Watch this!" Becky turned her attention to the thirteen year-old, watching with amusement as he did a few flips off of the edge into the pool. Terrifying his poor sister in the process.

"Cameron!" Cheyenne shrieked, as she recieved a faceful of water courtesy of her older brother. "I hate you!"

"Cheyenne." Rebecca called out warningly. Cheyenne turned to the three adults with a pout on her face, causing Becky to chuckle.

"Don't let him away with that cowgirl!" Becky called out. "Dunk his head!"

"Becky!" Cameron yelled indignantly as Cheyenne lunged for him, pulling them both underwater. Shawn and Rebecca both laughed as their children continued to playfully bicker and tussle amongst themselves. A few moments later, both children submerged, coughing and spluttering and still in the midst of the argument they had been having before they'd been submerged.

"Becky! Why did you tell-" Cameron trailed off and sighed. "See, look what you've done Cheyenne, you've bored Becky so much she's fallen asleep!"

They all turned and sure enough, Becky had fallen back asleep.

"I did not put her to sleep! YOU probably put her to sleep with your boring flips!"

"My flips are not boring!"

"Yes they are!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Both of you be quiet." Shawn said, pretending to be stern as he stared at his children. "Or else I'll come in there and sweet chin music you both in the face."

Cameron looked smug. "I'll just give you an attitude adjuster."

Shawn pretended to look offended. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would." Cameron said with a cocky grin not unlike that of his father.

"See dad, Cameron's a bad son." Cheyenne said with a matching smirk. "He ditched the Kliq for the chain gang."

Rebecca watched on in amusement as Shawn himself jumped into the pool like a little child and went after his children, grabbing them and flipping them up before catching them again.

"So immature." She muttered under her breath, before turning her attention back to their newest arrival. Becky's head was slumped onto her shoulder as she slept, her mouth opened slightly and her nose twitching every now and then. Rebecca frowned as Becky whimpered a little in her sleep, and she felt a little thrill of empathy go through her body as the young girls face creased up in pain. Rebecca could remember when Shawn was in the same amount of pain as Becky was. But this was different. Becky wasn't just confined to a wheelchair for a few months... Becky was confined to a wheelchair forever. She could remember how depressed Shawn had been when he'd been away from wrestling for so long. It hadn't been pretty most of the time. He had been angry and bitter and it had turned him into a horrible human being sometimes. He never took his anger out on Rebecca, but it still hurt her to see her husband going through so much pain.

She knew Becky was in for an even harder journey than Shawn had been. Becky had no-one to really turn to in her time of need. And despite Shawn and Rebecca's vow to make her feel as at home as possible during her stay with them, Rebecca knew there was a lot about Becky they didn't know, and there would probably be a lot of things they'd never know about Becky. Rebecca didn't want to push the youngster, but she hoped Becky would come to trust them in time enough to share any problems or bad feelings she might be having. Rebecca just hoped that she would be strong enough to cope with never being able to walk or wrestle again. Both her and Shawn had been somewhat relieved when they had found her in tears last night. It was the let-out she most desperately needed and while Rebecca knew that wasn't the last of the tears or the anger, she hoped that Becky would be able to handle the coming months and make it out at the end the same great person she was.

Becky gave another whimper, which caused Rebecca's frown to deepen.

Becky was hiding a lot of things, and Rebecca vowed to find out what. Because like it or not, Becky was now an important part of her lives.

How important, they were all yet to find out.


	10. Bigger Steps Back

"Are you absolutely, one hundred percent, positively sure you're okay with this?"

"Melissa, I am this close to punching you in the face."

"You're a bit farther away than that." Melissa smirked but seeing Becky's eyes flash dangerously, she relented. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! It's just you haven't been out of the house in almost a month, are you sure you're up for it?"

Becky rolled her eyes. "I'll be in a wheelchair, if I feel sleepy, I'll just fall asleep and you can bring me home. It's no biggie! I'm getting better at the exhaustion thing anyway."

Melissa turned to Rebecca, who was hovering nearby, trying hard not to appear too concerned but failing miserably. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us Mrs Hickenbottom?"

"Yeah Mrs Hickenbottom." Becky said with a playful smirk. "Wouldn't it make you feel better?"

Rebecca just smiled, glad that Becky was in a better mood today. The previous day had been a hard one for all of them, mostly Becky. She had been so angry and upset with herself for snapping at everyone that she had locked herself in the bathroom and refused to come out until everyone had went to bed. Cheyenne and Cameron had been upset by her behaviour and Shawn had tried his hardest not to grow impatient with her when he had returned from a business trip and found everyone to be near tears. Rebecca had called up Melissa, knowing that Becky always felt most comfortable with her, and Melissa had agreed immediately to come down and take Becky away for a day to give everyone a little break from each other. Over the past three weeks, she'd had her good days and her bad days, the bad days spent wallowing in a sort of depressed stupor in her room, while the good days were spent amongst the family and out by the pool, laughing and joking and having a good time, and this seemed to be one of the good days.

"The husband is still dead to the world, and I have a house to clean." Rebecca said, walking over and placing a gentle kiss on Becky's temple. "Remember, you can come straight home the moment you don't feel up to being outdoors."

Becky smiled shyly at at Rebecca, still hating herself for her performance the previous night. "I won't be long, we're just getting Cameron's present and those lightbulbs you needed."

"Bye Becky. Bye Cheyenne" Cameron called from the other room where he was doing homework. Cheyenne ran into the room to say something to her brother before scampering back out and throwing her arms around her mothers waist in farewell.

"Bye Cam!" Becky called back. She smiled at Rebecca as Melissa took the handles of her wheelchair and pushed her out the door, Cheyenne following behind. "Bye Becs."

Rebecca watched as they made their way to Melissa's car. Melissa, a lot stronger than Rebecca, was able to lift Becky into the passenger seat with ease, and quickly, with Cheyenne's help dismantled Becky's chair before placing it in the trunk of the jeep. Melissa sent Rebecca a wave before getting in the car and driving off. A few seconds after the door closed, Rebecca felt a pair of arms go around her waist.

"How was she this morning?" Shawn mumbled, his voice still sleepy. He'd gotten in from New York very late at night and had planned on catching up on some well needed sleep the moment he arrived home. Instead he'd found his distraught wife, his terrified children and an angry, petulant Becky locked in the downstairs bathroom. Eventually, he'd given up trying to get through to the teenager and had left her alone, heading to bed to catch up on that much sought-after slumber. He hated being away from the family but it was nice to still be involved in the wrestling business even after retirement. It still didn't mean he didn't miss his wife and kids when he was away for any amount of time.

"Better." Rebecca mumbled, turning to greet her husband properly with a kiss. "Yesterday was really bad, I don't think she's ever been so depressed in the past month since it happened."

Shawn frowned, slightly annoyed with himself for not being there to help Becky and his family out when things got stressful. "Do you think she maybe needs another talk with Pastor Ryan?"

Rebecca hesitated slightly. "I don't know Shawn, she didn't react all too kindly the last time."

"But it did make her feel better, even if for only a little while, she said so herself." Shawn said eagerly, grabbing his wife's hand and leading her into the kitchen so he could get some coffee. "I hate pushing her but you know as well as I do that she really needs to get back to her faith if she wants to make this easier on herself."

Rebecca didn't answer. While Becky was indeed a Christian, and until her accident had attended church every week, she wasn't as much a follower as the Hickenbottom family were. Shawn and Rebecca didn't try to shove their faith down her throats and she showed respect when it came to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But at the same time, Rebecca knew Becky would be hard to convince to do anything more than say a prayer before bed every night with Cameron and Cheyenne. She just wasn't the type of person who willingly opened up to a person she couldn't see.

"Let's just wait and see how she feels after today, okay honey?"

"Becs, you and I both know she isn't taking this well at all." Shawn glanced at the door to make sure Cameron was nowhere in earshot. "You know that this next op coming up could be potentially dangerous to her health. She knows that! She's growing more and more depressed as time goes on."

"And there's nothing we can do but step back and be there for her if she needs us." Rebecca replied calmly, setting about making Shawn something to eat. "We can't push her Shawn. You know, from personal experience may I add, that if you push and push her, she's only gonna push and push back. We just have to be patient."

"At the expense of Becky's happiness?" Shawn asked sadly. "I don't want another repeat performance of last night. I know she was having a bad day, but she really upset Cameron and Cheyenne."

"I know," Rebecca replied wearily. "And she knows it too, please Shawn, just give her some more time."

Shawn nodded, and before either of them could say anything else, they heard Cameron calling to them from the other room. "Hey mom? Can I go over to Martin's today till Becky gets back?...."

*

"Okay, so what brought all this on?" Melissa asked, glancing behind her to make sure Cheyenne was still cooing over all the little puppies in the pet store. Becky had spoken with Shawn and Rebecca and they had given their permission for Becky to buy Cameron a puppy for his birthday. She was letting Cheyenne help pick so that she didn't feel left out, her eleventh birthday wasn't for another year almost, but Becky was willing to treat the little girl today to help make up for it.

Becky sighed, running a hand through her hair wearily. "Well, it all started when I fell out of bed." Melissa tried to suppress a chuckle but didn't manage it. She was worried that Becky would go balistic, but was surprised to see Becky actually smirking herself. "No, it was funny. Hilarious actually. I was wrestling Kia back in February in my dream and I just flew through the air and landed - honestly Lissa you should have heard the sound I made when I hit the floor." She paused, thinking back to how angry and upset she was when she realised she was stuck in that position. "I couldn't move, obviously. But I didn't know what to do. I felt so stupid just lying there, I felt so Goddamn useless and it pissed me off. I dunno, I didn't want to have another breakdown feeling all sorry for myself so I just snapped and became angry instead. Becca and Cam came in to try help me and I was just so nasty..." Becky trailed off and looked away.

"That's it?" Melissa asked suspiciously. "From the way Rebecca spoke, it was like you were intent on committing suicide or something."

"That was only in the morning," Becky grumbled. "They got me back in my chair but it was painful, and the painkillers have stopped working like they used to. But I'm scared to go on stronger ones in case I become addicted, the last thing I need right now is a pill popping addiction." Melissa frowned, silently telling Becky to carry on. "That put me in a bad mood all day and Shawn's dogs just kept coming in my room, I think it was because of the chicken I'd ate the night before but whatever... anyway the dog wouldn't stop sniffing at my face and of course I couldn't move away could I? I didn't mean to hurt it..." Tears unwillingly came to her eyes as she thought back to how horrible she'd been to every living member of the Hickenbottom household the previous day. "I just wanted to make it go away. Cheyenne was upset that I'd hit her dog and I told her to go be a brat somewhere else." Becky turned to gaze at the little girl, and Melissa followed her gaze. Cheyenne certainly seemed traumatised by that remark. Not. "Cameron came in to try make me feel better, but I told him to get lost. It was on the tip of my tongue to say that this was all his fault and that scared me, because I know it isn't his fault and the last thing he needs is hearing anyone saying that. Especially if it's me."

"Honey, it just sounds like you were in a bad mood and not in the mood for socialising." Melissa said, rubbing her arm gently.

Becky snorted. "Yeah, I thought so too. But then I was trying to get out into the living room. I wanted to apologise to Cameron and Cheyenne, and Becca too, I suppose, for being mean to her kids. But I couldn't get the wheelchair up the little step and I just kept trying and trying and I didn't want to call for help because I can do it." Becky was growing frustrated and Melissa rubbed her arm, calming her down quickly. "I _can_ do it. I know I can do it and I hate asking for their help. They do enough for me day in and day out without me having to ask them to do every little fucking thing for me." Becky sighed and ran a hand over her face. "I just lost it. I honestly don't know what happened, I suddenly saw red and I couldn't control myself and I was punching the walls and throwing anything I could reach and I was screaming and I was crying and Becca had no clue how to stop it."

Melissa winced. She had been on the recieving end of one of Becky's famous rages once before, and it was a dangerously dark night she would never wish upon anyone. "What happened next?"

"I got smart with my mouth again." Becky said dully. "Told Becca none too kindly to fuck off and take her brats with her. I couldn't believe I said it. The moment those words left my mouth I calmed down. That's when the tears started."

"I locked myself in the bathroom and even when I heard Shawn come home I didn't come out." Becky laughed, but Melissa heard no humour in her voice. "Shawn was trying to convince me to come out, saying that there was no harm done. Was there hell. I saw how hurt Becca was by what I said. I saw how terrified Cam and Chey were by what I'd done. I told Shawn to go away, I could tell I was pissing him off. I was back to being angry by this point. I said some things to him I regret now too." Becky paused for a few moments, making sure to keep an eye on Cheyenne, who was running back and forth between two puppies, undecided which one she should pick for her brother. "I was such a bitch to them all Lissa, and it scared me so much. I got so angry and so upset and no-one could bring me down from it. No-one could make me feel better and I hate that. I hate that I snapped like that. They don't deserve that. It's not their fault. I hate myself for putting them through that." She turned to Melissa with teary eyes. "What if I snap like that again and hurt one of them? What if I can't control myself next time?"

Melissa sighed, unsure how she should go about what she wanted to say to her young friend. "Becky, you and I both know you have anger problems, you always have." Becky rolled her eyes, but Melissa knew she wasn't being petulant, she was just trying to lighten the mood. "And to be quite honest babe, you have every right to be so messed up in the head, no offence." She added, but Becky just smiled.

"None taken." She hesitated, unsure whether she should divulge another piece of information to her loyal best friend. "I've been having a lot of bad dreams lately.... about him."

Melissa frowned. She hadn't heard Becky mention anything at all about Drake over the past few weeks and had been very relieved. She thought maybe Becky could be finally free from that monster once and for all. Obviously not. "It's only dreams Becky, they'll go away eventually."

"He comes to the house," Becky carried on like she hadn't heard her. "And Shawn's not home. Becca can't stand up to him, he beats on her, and he beats on Cameron and Cheyenne. Then he grabs me and he takes off my clothes and I can't do anything to stop him," Becky bites her lip as the tears start flowing freely down her cheeks. "But then, he stops, and instead he grabs Rebecca." She shut her eyes to block out the painful images that were forever imprinted in her mind. "He hurt her, he hurt her and he raped her while I could do nothing but sit and watch. I know it's only a dream Lissa, but it felt so real. It could happen so easily if he ever found out where I am.... what if he hurts Becca? What if Cameron and Cheyenne ever have to sit and watch their mom go through that?"

"Shhh, honey, it's a dream, it's only a dream." Melissa crouched down and hugged Becky to her, kissing her head tenderly. "He won't find out where you are and even if he did, he wouldn't get his hands on you or Rebecca, I can assure you of that."

"They were so vivid, and so horrible." Becky whispered. "I... I've stopped sleeping, to try get away from them. That's why I've been in such a bad mood recently. I'm so exhausted, but I'm terrified to go to sleep. I don't want to put them in danger Melissa!"

"You haven't." Melissa said. She noticed Cheyenne approaching, her facial expression one of blissful ignorance. "Cheyenne sweetie, could you go get us some candy floss from that stall over there?" Cheyenne nodded happily and took the money Melissa handed her. The stall was right across the street from the pet store and in plain view of where Becky and Melissa sat. They'd be able to keep an eye on the young girl while continuing their private conversation. The queue was long enough to keep Cheyenne away for another little while. "I think you should tell them about Drake."

Becky's eyes widened fearfully. "I couldn't do that!"  
"Becky, it might be the best thing for you mentally-"

"They'd kick me out!" Becky said, beginning to panic. "They'd throw me out if they found out some of the things I've done for him. He's crazy Lissa! You know that! If they found out I'd willingly put their family in danger, they'd be so mad. So mad and so angry and they'd disown me and I'd never see Cam or Chey again and-" Melissa groaned as Becky began to hyperventilate. It seemed like the young girl was heading for another breakdown, this one a lot worse than the last.

"Becky, honey, look at me," Melissa comanded gently. "Look at me and breathe, that's it." She waited for a moment until Becky's breathing had returned to normal before continuing. "These dreams are tearing you apart. You're going through enough right now without deliberately depriving yourself of sleep. I want you to go home and I want you to sit Becca and Shawn down and explain everything to them."

Becky sighed, a sigh that made it seem as though she held the weight of the world on her shoulders and had no idea how to get out from underneath it. Melissa felt another stab of sympathy in her chest. That wasn't a sigh you were supposed to hear from a once vibrant world-is-her-oyster eighteen year old. "What if they hate me?"

Melissa bit her lip to prevent herself from biting back a retort. She understood Becky's fears, but at the same time, was frustrated at the girls insistance that people would blame her for the things Drake had put her through. Her grandparents had been crazy and sick, that was the basis of the whole thing. They made money from a guy like Drake, and when they lost that money, they died before they paid their debt. And Becky was left to pick up the consequences. How she could even contemplate Shawn and Rebecca resenting her in any way whatsoever for what she had been through... it boggled Melissa's mind. She then had to remind herself that this was Becky and that Becky's mind worked differently than most other peoples. She marched to the beat of her own drum and did things her own way. It was one of the things she liked most about her.

"They won't hate you babe," Melissa said soothingly. "You said so yourself the other day... they're almost like your family now." Becky nodded in agreement. "Don't you think they'd be upset if the found out you were hiding so many secrets?"

"That's the beauty of a secret," Becky recited the same thing Melissa had heard over and over again for the past three years. "No-one knows about it, so no-one would be hurt if they ever found out. If no-one knows in the first place, then there's no reason to tell anyone if I don't want people to know. The more secrets I have, the less people have to hurt me with."

She was growing tired of hearing it.

"Becky, you no longer live that life anymore." She felt slightly bad at seeing Becky's expression falter, but she knew she had to convince her to open up to the Hickenbottoms for their sakes as well as hers. "You no longer wrestle every day of the week, you no longer work as a cashier in Walmart, you no longer play phone dodge with Mike and you are no longer Drake Williams personal sex slave and punch bag." She gripped the arms of Becky's wheelchair and moved their faces closer. "You are now a cripple and you are depressed and you are living with probably the most loving and sweetest family you could ever meet, and yet you continue to lie and hide things from them because you're too scared to let people see the real you. That isn't healthy, not just for you, but for that little girl over there and her family. One day Becky you are gonna snap and it's gonna be very, very hard for you to pick yourself back up after it." Melissa took a deep breath and moved away from Becky, hoping what she was saying was sinking into the teens brain. "How do you think Cameron and his entire family would feel if you overdosed one night and commited suicide under their roof?"

"I wouldn't commit suicide." Becky muttered under her breath.

"Tell me you haven't thought about it." The silence scared Melissa, but she ploughed on anyway. "And tell me you haven't attempted it before this stupid accident even happened?"

"Stupid accident?! STUPID ACCIDENT!" Becky yelled. "How the hell can you say that Melissa? How the hell can you think this is stupid? This accident took away my life! It took away everything I have ever loved to do and it took away whatever freedom I had left. Do you really think that's easy to handle? Knowing that I'll never be able to do what I do best? It's okay to hear, oh, she had so much potential, she was on her way to being the best in the business. Well it would have been nicer to actually _get_ to be the best in the business. God dammit Melissa you have NO idea what I'm going through right now. You have NO idea how hard it is to drag my crippled ass out of bed every morning and you have NO idea how hard it is to get used to the fact that I no longer answer to Drake. Get used to the fact that I'm heading in for an operation that could potentially kill me?! God how can you be so damn insensitive!"

"I'm trying to help you!" Melissa retorted heatedly.

"All everyone seems to be doing is trying to help me." Becky replied bitterly. "Do you have any idea how demeaning it is to have Rebecca come in and help _change_ me everyday? I have to get Shawn to carry me into the bathroom! I have to wear a swimsuit in the bath because I can't get in the tub myself. Do you have any idea how it feels to be so totally helpless and so dependant on two people you don't even know? I hate what this has done to me and I hate the fact that I constantly feel so vulnerable and worthless. I'm such a burden to Shawn and Rebecca and I don't know what to do anymore."  
Melissa didn't know what to do as Becky burst into noisy tears. There was no way she could divert Cheyenne's attention as the girl was already on her way back over, cotton candy in hand. "What's wrong with Becky?"

Melissa looked at her friend, who wasn't doing anything to curb her crying. "We're just getting some things off our chest."

"Is it hurting bad today Becky?" Cheyenne asked in concern. Becky nodded slightly and Cheyenne made a sympathetic noise with her throat. "Cotton candy?"

Becky smiled slightly and accepted a piece. "Thanks cowgirl."

"Maybe we should head back." Melissa muttered under her breath.

"No." Becky said firmly. "We haven't picked out a dog yet and I promised Cheyenne we'd get her a new outfit." Cheyenne beamed with pride. And Melissa noted that the girl didn't seem too phased by Becky's tears. Maybe these crying jags were more common than Melissa had realised.

"Fine, but we still haven't finished our talk." Melissa began, but Becky sighed and swung her wheelchair round to face her.

"Yes we have," Becky said with a glare. "I'm not telling them anything, and neither are you. Once I get this op out the way, maybe then I'll think about just wiping the slate clean and starting again, but until then, I wanna enjoy the rest of this day and I want to enjoy Cameron's birthday in peace." She saw Cheyenne watching her intently and she shot her a reassuring smile. "Fancy pushing me cowgirl? I'm a bit tired."

Cheyenne handed Melissa the rest of the candy and ran behind Becky, pushing her towards the puppy she had decided would be the best choice for her brother. "This one! Isn't he sweet?"

Becky took a proper look at what seemed to be a German Shepard and Border Collie mix. "He is quite cute, how old is he?"

"Just two months." Cheyenne squealed as the dog managed to lick her on the chin. "His names Barney, isn't he cute?"

"Do you think he already knows his name or will Cameron be able to change it?" Becky asked curiously, glancing around to see if she could catch the attention of any sales clerks that happened to be nearby. "He better be puppy trained, I cannot be dealing with dog crap on my wheels everyday."

Cheyenne giggled and picked the puppy up, holding him out to Becky. "You wanna hold him?"

Becky hesitated, and Melissa was astounded to see that she was even wary about letting a _dog_ get close to her. She had regressed in many more ways than she could have even imagined since she had left San Antonio General. She thought about maybe speaking with Shawn and Rebecca herself. Would that be the best thing for Becky? Maybe getting Becky to relive her entire morbid past would only make her regress, rather than improve. She'd have to think it over a lot while Becky was recovering in hospital after her next operation. She couldn't help but think back to what Becky had said. Was this op really a potential threat on her life? She'd have to ask Rebecca that later.

"Pee on me and you are not being adopted dude." Becky inspected the dogs wide, trusting eyes as she scooped it up into her arms. "You are rather cute, aren't you Barney?" She made a face. "Barney... I hope Cameron changes it."

"Aww, don't be mean," Cheyenne reprimanded. "Barney's a cute name."

"For a purple dinosaur maybe." Becky teased, handing the puppy back to Cheyenne as she finally managed to catch someone's attention. "Hi, I'd like to buy this little guy here please if that's possible?"

The woman nodded, glancing at Cheyenne and the puppy, who's tail was wriggling wildly, and smiling warmly. "That's a good choice. He's a very good tempered dog and loves children, he's almost fully puppy trained as well."

"That's a relief." Becky said with a grin.

"We just need you to fill out some paperwork, so that your details are in our database in case the puppy ever ends up back here." The sales clerk continued, pulling up a couple of forms and handing them to Becky. "Is there anything else you need to purchase?"

"A collar and leash would be great, and a bed, and some puppy food." Becky glanced to Cheyenne, who's brow was furrowed in thought. "Anything else he needs for the next day and night before Cam sees him?"

"A toy?" Cheyenne suggested. "He might get bored being cooped up your room all day."

Becky nodded. "You're right, why don't you go over to the toys and see which ones he likes best." Cheyenne scampered away and Becky turned her attention to the forms. Melissa expected this. She was being given the silent treatment. It was one of those sudden reminders that she recieved every now and again that Becky was still only eighteen. And could act more like a child than anyone she knew.

Becky finished scrawling her name on all the papers and handed them back over. She handed over her credit card to pay for what needed to be paid as Cheyenne returned, Barney still wriggling in her arms and half the pet toys in her hands.

"I said one toy Cheyenne." Becky teased with a grin. Cheyenne just blushed and grabbed the leash. "He's had all his shots right?"

The sales clerk nodded. "Here's his Vet card, just in case he ever needs to go in for anything." Becky took the bag of goods and sat it on her lap before accepting the vetinary card. "Enjoy your new puppy."

"I'm sure he will." Becky smiled warmly at the woman and motioned for Melissa. "Little help here, Liss?"

By the time Cheyenne had picked out her new outfit and they had stopped in for something to eat, it was growing dark when the three girls finally made it back to the house. Cheyenne ran ahead to make sure Cameron was nowhere in sight while Becky did her best to conceal the overly-excited pup in her jacket once Melissa had helped her out of the SUV and into her wheelchair.

"Dammit, dog, stay still!" Becky growled playfully, causing the puppy to yelp back at her. "Don't talk to me like that! I paid for you!"

Melissa just watched the exchange silently, wondering what was going through Becky's mind at this moment. She'd seen her young friend go through so many emotions in just one day it made her head spin. One thing kept coming back to her.

_"How do you think Cameron and his entire family would feel if you overdosed one night and commited suicide under their roof?"_

_"I wouldn't commit suicide." _

_"Tell me you haven't thought about it."_

The silence that followed that statement terrified Melissa more than anything. She knew she had to speak with Rebecca and Shawn sooner rather than later if she wanted to keep Becky safe.

"Cameron's not at home, he's away to Martin's, so let's go!" Cheyenne said excitedly, bounding ahead, the puppy's bed and other items in her arms. Melissa walked behind a little bit slower, pushing Becky ahead of her. She got the wheelchair into the front hall and bent down till she was eye level with Becky, who just gazed at her, expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry if I got too harsh with you today honey." Melissa said quietly. "Just please know I love you far too much to see you hurting so much."

"I know." Becky whispered in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn. I just... I need time to rearrange everything in my own head before I go blabbing about everything to other people. I just need you to promise you'll always be there for me."

"Always." Melissa promised, kissing her on the forehead as Rebecca and Shawn emerged from the den. "I'll be back on Wednesday, to see you before your op. Tell Cameron I said happy birthday." She waved to Shawn and Rebecca. "Bye guys."

As Melissa settled herself behind the wheel of her car, she took a moment to think about her talk with Becky today. Becky wasn't looking too good. That much was obvious. The lack of sleep and constant physical pain she was in was slowly but surely having an effect on her. And Melissa knew from common sense that someone so frail and vulnerable heading into a hospital for a major operation was under a much bigger risk of contracting viruses and the like. She hoped Becky saw sense and turned to Shawn and Rebecca for help....

Because to Melissa, it seemed like they were the only two people left that Becky could possibly listen to.


	11. Revelations

"I think it's time to hide the puppy, I'm gonna go fetch Cam now."

Cheyenne scrambled to her feet and frantically scooped up Barney. "Quick, Becky! We need to get all his stuff into your room."

"Hold on while I run around and fetch it all." Becky replied dryly, wheeling herself over to the pile of toys that Cheyenne had brought the dog. She was glad it was so late as it gave her an excuse to feign sleep if Cameron came knocking. She just hoped the dog wouldn't make too much noise that would alert Cameron to its presence. She wanted his presents to be a surprise tomorrow. Hopefully Cheyenne had wore the dog out enough that it would sleep through the night. "When will you be back Shawn?"

"Ten minutes, hopefully longer if Cameron isn't already set by the time I get there." Shawn replied, grabbing his hat as he made for the door. "Won't be long!"

The door slammed shut and Becky wheeled herself over to her room, Cheynne ahead of her, managing to get past the small step with ease due to the fact she was in a much calmer mood tonight. "What will you do if he needs to pee during the night?"

Becky groaned, she hadn't thought of that. And no way was the animal pissing and shitting with her in the same room. "Why do I do these things? I have totally not thought this through."

"I'll come let the dog out before I go to bed," Rebecca explained, placing the puppys bed down close to the window. "You're on the bottom floor Becky, if the worst comes to the worst, drop him out the window."

Becky smiled as Cheyenne looked horrified. "But then he'll run away mommy!!"

"Not if I put his leash on first." Becky explained, pushing all the items under her quilt covers. She'd wrap his presents during the night, first of all she had to do some apologising. "Becs, can we talk?"

Rebecca nodded and glanced at Cheyenne pointedly, who pouted.

"Bye Barney, see you tomorrow." She giggled as the pup jumped up at her knees. "Goodnight Becky."

"Night cowgirl." Becky kissed the young girl on the cheek and watched as she skipped out the room. The moment the door was shut, Rebecca came and sat on the bed, across from Becky. "How are you feeling today?"

Becky sighed. "Much better. Melissa chewed me out good for what I did last night." Becky glanced at Rebeca, wondering how this woman wasn't angry at her for the things she had said and did to her and her family the previous night. "I am so, so sorry Becca. I was bang out of order and I had no right to say or do any of the things I said or did. I was just having a really bad, painful day and it was wrong of me to take that anger out on you guys...." Rebecca still didn't say anything, and Becky felt herself tearing up. What was with the crying jags tonight? "I can understand if you don't want me staying here anymore. I know that I'm terrible when I get like that and I can try not to get like that ever again but I don't know if I can promise that." She took a moment to compose herself. "I'm messed up Becca, I'm so messed up and I have anger issues and I don't want to put you in a position like that ever again. I don't want you guys to ever have to feel afraid of me anymore so I understand if you want me to move out."

When Becky still didn't get a response from Rebecca, she looked up and was surprised to see tears streaming down the older woman's face.

"You aren't moving out," Rebecca whispered with a small smile. "We don't want you to move out right now, if ever. And I definitely think Cameron would never forgive us if we even attempted to throw you out."

"But-" Becky was silenced when Rebecca placed a finger on her lips.

"It's my turn to talk now." Becky nodded and Rebecca removed her hand. "And I want you to listen carefully."

"Becky, the moment I met you I knew you were... troubled." Becky frowned and Rebecca tried to elaborate. "I could sense that you'd had a tough life. Maybe other people couldn't see it, but I could. When the doctor told us that you were a wrestler and you were so young and you had all this potential in the world, I thought I'd meet some brash, cocky, arrogant person and then when the doctor told us you couldn't walk anymore.. I really expected you to hate us. I expected you to hate Cameron for being the basis of why you're like this."

"None of this was Cameron's fault." Becky cut in quickly. "I know that, it's him who needs convincing."

Rebecca smiled. "You and Cameron have grown so close over the past month and I'm so happy. It's almost as though Cameron needs you to be close to him so that he can put this whole thing behind him. Even if he does still feel like it's all his fault, it makes him feel better knowing you're always around and knowing that you will always be around for the near future. I know from Melissa that you aren't the most open or affectionate person in the world, but you wouldn't know that by the way you are with Cameron and my family and for that I'm really appreciative."

Becky just smiled and ducked her head, and Rebecca could see her cheeks going red.

"I haven't forgotten about that man who was in your hospital room that day, and I know you haven't either." Rebecca's suspicions were confirmed when she saw Becky's entire body tense up. "I know you have secrets, and I'm not saying I have to know everything. But I think it would help you, and help us get closer to each other, if you maybe opened up a little bit more to me, or to Shawn. We hate seeing you so hurt Becky, without knowing what we can do about it. I'm not saying you have to tell me who that guy was or why he was putting his hands on you." Becky flinched, which caused Rebecca to frown. "He doesn't... he doesn't normally hurt you does he?"

Becky considered opening up to Rebecca. She knew Rebecca would need to know sooner or later. But her earlier thoughts came back to haunt her. What if Rebecca and Shawn felt like Becky had willingly put their family in danger by not telling them about Drake sooner? What if Drake found out where she was and showed up one day and hurt Becca? Or hurt the kids? Becky would never forgive herself if something happened to them. They were her family now. They were all she had left. But would they still care about her as much once they found out about her sordid past?

"Becky?" Rebecca gripped Becky's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Don't be afraid. You can tell me anything, you know you can."

Becky sighed and closed her eyes painfully. "Has he hurt you before Becky?"

Becky opened her eyes but avoided looking at Rebecca. "Yes." She whispered.

Rebecca felt her insides clench. "How many times?"  
Becky sighed. She'd done it now. She'd opened up that can of worms and there was no way of closing it now. "He... it's a regular thing we have. It's sort of.. like.. well.. we..." Becky grew flustered as she tried to find the best words to describe her and Drake's "business" relationship to Rebecca without going into too much detail. Becky sighed again. "My parents died when I was two years old, and my mothers parents took me in. They were two of the most arrogant, selfish, greedy Mexicans you could probably ever meet in your life. But they took me in and at first, they took care of me. If I was bad they'd hit me but that was alright, it just taught me never to get caught, and if I did, all I had to do was run away and they'd never be able to touch me."

Rebecca stayed silent, not wanting to startle Becky into being silent again. This was the first time she'd heard Becky mention anything from her past, and she wanted to hear more.

"Like I said, they were greedy, especially for money. They went to this loan shark, his name was Drake. They got a ton of money from him and they lived the high life for about a year, maybe less. We went to all these exotic places and lived abroad for a few months at a time before coming back and getting more money from Drake and then heading out again.... needless to say they racked up a helluva lot of debt in their little year of bliss.... when we got back to El Paso, Drake was waiting for them, and he wasn't too happy." Becky took a moment to compose herself, from this moment on things got tough. "My grandmother got sick the moment we got back home. Kind of convenient really, it meant she couldn't go out and work for money. So grandpa started teaching me how to wrestle. He said someone with my looks who knew how to wrestle would earn a shit load of money, especially if she was only fourteen." Rebecca winced. She couldn't imagine forcing Cameron into a wrestling ring this early on in his life. Fourteen was much too young to be thinking about careers.

"So when grandma passed away, grandpa was naturally gutted. It was quite sad really. They'd been together about forty years or so. But then he was left with a fourteen year-old kid and I wasn't really becoming much of an instant star like he'd hoped," Becky smirked. "And let's just say Drake was growing impatient. A lot of people say my grandfather died of a broken heart. I'd say he died because he knew he had no way of paying back the money he owed Drake. He shot himself in the head one night while I was wrestling a try-out for Ring Of Honor... that's when I met Melissa and she took me abroad to wrestle."

"I moved to San Antonio and that's when I met Mick, and he taught me all he could and that's when I started getting picked up a lot more on independant promotions. I think they thought a fifteen year-old kid who could talk and could wrestle and had no guardians about could be taken for a ride. Mick and Melissa made sure to deal with that though. But then Drake showed up again, apparently my grandfather had made him a deal to get his money back. And he made it clear if I didn't adhere to this deal he'd... well... he'd do a lot more than just hurt me."

Rebecca knew she didn't want to hear the rest, but she could see by the expression on Becky's face that she hadn't spoken about this for a long time. If it helped Becky to get this off her chest, then she was willing to listen.

"Basically, I became his sex slave, Melissa managed to set up a trust fund through her name so he could never get to my money. But instead he used my body, and he ran his own wrestling promotion, with his own roid-raged guys up top. Let's just say if they were in need of a playtoy, I was given to them." Becky saw Rebecca's face scrunch up, and she felt horrible for burdening her with this information. "That went on for about two years. There's much more detail than that but I don't think you need to hear it. That's basically why I'm so withdrawn and basically why I'm so fucked up in the brain. Melissa didn't find out for about a year, maybe more. I was so ashamed of myself. I was so scared that people, my friends, would disown me if they found out what Drake made me do. But I just didn't know how to say no. I didn't want him to kill me. And I didn't want one of his roidbots to kill me either. I was so much more naive back then, I just couldn't say no, I couldn't stop it all from happening. Now I just wanna forget it ever happened and move on with my life. If this gets out it'll ruin my career before it even got started, so I kept it to myself. The last thing I needed was the dirtsheets finding out and me being mortified in front of the entire wrestling community."

Rebecca had to take a moment for this information to digest. "Oh Becky... I didn't... I never would of thought..."

Becky smiled sadly. "I know. It's no big deal, really. I'm here now right? I mean, he can't find me. And I can't exactly go have sex with him whenever he wants even if he could find me so... I'm kinda useless to him. So it's okay. I'm free."

Rebecca just stared at her. Repeating her words inside her own head. No big deal? Was Becky really that messed up? She hated thinking that about someone, but in Becky's case it seemed likely. How could someone be so calm about a situation they had been forced into that was so horrible? And what on earth were her grandparents thinking? Treating their only grandaughter that way?

"Becs?" Becky's timid voice cut into Rebecca's thoughts. "Don't over think it, alright? It's done with now. I got over it a long time ago and I just learned to accept it. You need to do that too."

"Accept it?" Becca repeated blankly. "Becky, how do you expect me to accept something like that?! You've practically been a rape victim for almost three years!"

Becky winced. Put like that, it did seem rather barbaric. "I know, but please don't make it a bigger deal than what it is. I've learned to get over it and ignore it. I really don't need a vivid reminder of what I've done. I already feel worthless enough as it is thanks."

Rebecca suddenly felt sick. "Oh honey, this isn't your fault. You're not worthless! It's horrible what that man put you through, he should pay for it! You can't let him away with it."

"Even if I did report him, he has enough money and power over the San Antonio cops to be out within 24 hours." Becky said with a shrug. "Please, Becca, just... forget I said anything. I don't want to think about him, and I don't want to think about the things I did with him. It just... it makes me feel so dirty... like I'm no better than he is."

Rebecca could see Becky tearing up again, and she suddenly felt terrible. She could only imagine how hard it must have been for the girl to reveal her deepest, darkest secret to someone Rebecca knew Becky still viewed as a complete stranger. "Oh honey come here." Rebecca pulled her close for a hug as Becky sniffled slightly, willing herself not to break down for a third time that day. "You've had to put up with so much... for so long. And all on your own as well.... well I'm here for you now, and I won't ever let him lay his hands on you ever again, alright?"

Becky sniffed, never feeling more like a child than she did in that moment. "Promise?"

Rebecca smiled slightly and kissed the top of her head. "I promise-" They were interrupted by a gentle knock at the door. "Yes?"

Shawn poked his head round, eyes narrowing slightly as he took the crying teenager in. "Am I interrupting?"

"I'll be out in a minute babe," Rebecca replied. "Is Cameron in bed?"

"He wants to come say goodnight to Becky," Shawn said, bending down to give some attention the energetic pup at his heels. "I'll take this little guy outside for ten minutes, try wear him out before y'all go down for the night."

"Thanks Shawn." Becky piped up quietly, not moving from Rebecca's arms. Shawn shot his wife a questioning look, to which Rebecca shook her head in reply.

"Later." She mouthed. Shawn nodded and scooped the puppy up before leaving the two women alone.

"Becca, could you do me a favour and um... not... tell Shawn about any of this?" Becky asked tentatively, knowing it was a big secret she was asking her to keep from her husband.

Rebecca hesitated. "Becky... Shawn would want to know... he'd want to be there for you."

"I know, and I appreciate it but I really... can't deal with him knowing right now I mean... I still can't believe I actually told you and I can't be dealing with so much sympathy from both of you at once." Becky gazed at Rebecca with wide, worried eyes. "I know I shouldn't be asking you to keep something from your own husband but please... at least until my next operation.. could this just stay between me and you?"

Rebecca thought about it for a moment. She hated keeping anything from her husband. And she knew he would probably be upset if he found out she had kept something this big from him for an extended period of time. Gazing into Becky's eyes however, she could see it was a struggle for the youngster to admit it to Rebecca alone. Maybe keeping Shawn in the dark would be the best thing for everyone right now. They were all tense and worried about Becky's upcoming operation. And Rebecca would rather the family enjoyed Cameron's birthday in peace. It was another 9 days before Becky went in for surgery... afterwards, with that hurdle behind them, maybe then Shawn could be enlightened as to what was going on in Becky's life.

"Okay, I won't tell him." Becky practically wilted in relief. "But as soon as you're out of hospital, the three of us will sit down and have a long, long talk okay? But now that I know, you know you can come to me when you need to talk right? About anything. No matter what time, or what it's about, I'm all ears, okay?"

Becky nodded and hugged Rebecca again, wincing as she stretched a little too much for her backs liking. "Thank you Becs, I really, really appreciate it."

Rebecca smiled. "Shawn would want to know, he'd want to be there for you. But I understand where you're coming from, so I don't mind keeping things to myself for now."

"Are you guys gonna talk all night or can I come in now?" They suddenly heard Cameron's tired voice on the other side of the door.

Rebecca took note of the smile that instantly lit up Becky's face. "Of course you can come in!" Cameron came bursting in the room and grinned when he caught sight of his mother. "Hey mom."

Rebecca smiled. "Hey Cam, did you have fun at Martin's?" Cameron nodded and came to hug and kiss his mother on the cheek. "I'll let you two say your goodnights. Not too long Cam okay? You still have to say your prayers and get washed before you go to bed."

"I won't be long mom, I'm just saying goodnight to Becky." Rebecca smiled and kissed her sons cheek once more before leaving the two alone. She looked in on Cheyenne, who was just getting into bed. She walked in the room to say goodnight to her daughter, and found her daughter was frowning thoughtfully at something as she pulled back her covers.

"Everything okay Chey?" Rebecca asked curiously.

Cheyenne nodded slowly. "It's fine mommy, I was just wondering if Becky's gonna be okay after her talk with Melissa today."

Rebecca frowned. "Were you listening in on Becky and Melissa's conversation?"

Cheyenne rolled her eyes impatiently. "No, mom, I was away getting candy. But they were talking and then they started yelling at each other. Then Becky cried." Cheyenne frowned sympathetically. "Becky said she couldn't cope with everything, or something like that. I feel bad for her mom. Do you think this operation will make her legs work properly again?"

Rebecca sighed and came to kiss her daughters cheek. "I don't know honey. But we can pray and hope so can't we?" Cheyenne nodded happily. "Go to sleep, I'll see you tomorrow morning. I love you."

"Love you too." Cheyenne called, snuggling down into her bed. Rebecca passed Becky's room and could hear both her and Cameron's voices still chatting away in the room. She glanced out the front window and saw Shawn chasing the puppy around. The sight brought a smile to her face. Sometimes her husband just acted like such a child.

"Okay, Cam, I think it's time for bed." Rebecca called softly from the other side of the door.

Cameron sighed. He was glad it was his birthday tomorrow, but he didn't want to go to sleep just yet. He had barely seen Becky at all today and yesterday she had been in a real foul mood. He wanted to make sure she was feeling better and wasn't in such a downer like she had been the previous night. "Is it okay if I come wake you up tomorrow once I get up?"

Becky chuckled. "It's okay, I've set my alarm. I need to fix your present first thing anyway, so I'll most likely be up before you." Cameron looked intrigued by this, and she tapped her nose playfully. "You aren't getting to know what it is until tomorrow, so save yourself the curiosity and get up to bed."

Cameron grinned and kissed Becky softly on the cheek. "Night Beck, see you tomorrow."

"You too," Becky replied. "Love you."

Cameron stopped, she'd never said that to him before. "Love you too." He replied with a grin as he bounded out the door, almost colliding headfirst with his mother.

"Calm it Cameron, or else you won't see fourteen." Rebecca teased. She leaned down to kiss her sons head. "Goodnight, your father will be up shortly."

"Where is he?" Cameron asked suspiciously. "He was in the house a minute ago."

"He's just putting the trash out." Rebecca steered Cameron towards the steps so that he wouldn't go nosey in the kitchen to see if the bins had been emptied. "Get to bed! You don't want to be tired all day tomorrow when it's your birthday." Cameron conveniently chose that moment to yawn. "My point exactly, now get to bed young man."

"Fine, I'm goin I'm goin." Cameron said wearily. "Goodnight mom."

Rebecca waited till she heard the click of his door shutting before she headed back to Becky's room. "You okay honey?"

Rebecca looked up from her laptop with a smile. "I'm fine, the birthday boy in bed? I need to wrap up his gifts."

"He's just went up, I'd give it ten minutes in case he comes snooping around." Rebecca said with a smile as Barney suddenly whooshed past her legs and went straight for Becky, yapping excitedly. "I hope he doesn't do that all night."

"Once he calms down he should be fine." Becky said, petting the dogs ears to try pacify him. When that didn't seem to work, she barely managed to lift the little thing onto her lap, where it immediately stopped struggling and was content to just sit and stare at her. "Tell Shawn thanks."

"No problem." Shawn answered, also sticking his head in the door. "That should do him till tomorrow morning at least. I can't wait to see Cameron's face."

Becky smiled and glanced down at the puppy, who in response at suddenly having someone's attention, reached up and licked Becky right across the face. "Awwww Barney!"

Rebecca and Shawn both laughed. "We'll let you get your rest and we'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Becky replied, waving with Barney's tiny paw. "Goodnight guys. And thank you, Becca."

Rebecca just smiled. "Anytime honey, we love you."

"You both too." Becky called as they shut the door softly.

Shawn took Rebecca's hand and led her up to their bedroom, where they let the door shut before Shawn took his wife's face in his hands. "I missed you while I was gone."

Rebecca smiled and kissed her husbands cheek. "And we missed you. Becky included in that... she's become more attached to you than I think anyone realised."  
"She'll never admit that though." Shawn joked, leaning in to kiss his wife softly on her lips. "She's better today though right?"  
Rebecca nodded but didn't say anything, not wanting to be reminded of the horrors Becky had explained to her just an hour ago. Instead of answering Shawn, she smashed her mouth against his in a blistering kiss. When she pulled away, she felt slightly breathless, and Shawn's voice caught in his throat slightly as he chuckled.

"No mentioning of the kids before bed... gotcha."


	12. Birthday Wishes

"Woof!"

"Do that all you want you little brat, Cam clearly isn't awake yet so you ain't getting out of here until he is."

Barney just wagged his tail, staring at Becky with his head cocked to one side.

"Don't look at me like that you little shit," Becky said, rubbing her eyes tiredly and glancing at the clock. It was just after 5AM. She was just putting the finishing touches on Cameron's gift and card. She hadn't slept, naturally. If she had, she would have just repeatedly woken up through the night in a cold sweat anyway. She had also noticed that her being awake all night had kept the pup quiet. He had actually fallen asleep on Becky's lap for most of the night, and she had just attempted to move him into his little bed when he'd woken up. And was now making a break for freedom by sitting at the door, tail wagging patiently looking forever like the cute little pup he was.

"Stupid dog." Becky muttered, scooping him up and clipping his leash on. "You'll pee and then you'll sleep while I e-mail Mick and tell him to come pick me up later today." She whispered as she pushed up the window and plopped the dog down on the lawn outside. "And hurry up, my back hurts enough without having to reach down for you." She was rather surprised at how accustomed she had grown to not being able to walk anywhere. She wasn't entirely used to maneuvering her own way around the place, but she was getting there. It was much harder than she had ever realised. She had totally taken her legs for granted until they were taken away from her. Payback, she guessed, for never giving her legs the adoration they deserved.

She glanced at the three gifts lying on her pillow, all wrapped and waiting for Cameron to open when he eventually awoke from his slumber. She hoped he liked them, and she hoped they weren't of too much sentimental value for a fourteen year-old kid to understand. That's why she'd went for an extra safe option and bought him a puppy that he could have fun with. Maybe his other gifts were best left till he was older for him to properly cherish. She just hoped he enjoyed spending time with the puppy and didn't grow bored with it when his party began, because Becky wouldn't be there to watch after the animal.

When Shawn and Rebecca's families, as well as Cameron's friends, started arriving for Cameron's bithday party later on that day, Becky had made plans for Mick to take her to the training center so she could catch up with all her old friends. She hadn't met any of Cameron's relatives before now and felt uncomfortable doing so so soon. She felt it would be better and less awkward for everyone if she gave Cameron his gifts and then left, hopefully Mick would be able to put up with her till she went in for her operation a week on Monday.

The operation, the thoughts were constantly on her mind. She knew what the doctor had told her. A fifty-fifty chance. That's all there was that she'd make it out of there alive. How could such risks be involved in a simple spinal fusion surgery? Would it even be so bad if she maybe didn't wake up on the operating table?

She pushed those thoughts way out of her brain. She couldn't let her depression consume her to the point of suicide. It hadn't worked before, and it wouldn't work again. She focused on the good points in her life, the good people in her life. It was selfish of her to think about ending her life when she had it so much better than so many other people. She was very blessed to have had the career she'd had at such a young age. And now, to be living with such a caring and wonderful family, with the best medical care in the world and finally a chance to move away from the terrible shadows her past held. Revealing all to Rebecca tonight had been a struggle, but now, she felt a weird sense of relief. Almost, closure, if you will. She knew it would be a long time before she fully got over the abuse she suffered at the hands of that man, but it was a start.

"Okay sprout, in you get." Becky struggled for a moment to reach down to Barney. And she bit her lip as the familiar tears of frustration appeared in her eyes. Thankfully, Barney sensed her distress and leapt up, his tail wagging gleefully in his desire to recieve some attention. This allowed Becky to reach his little paws and drag him awkwardly back into the room. "You're more trouble than you're worth." She deposited the puppy on the floor, and it immediately ran towards its basket, clawing at it like a dog would a mudhole.

"Barney!" Becky hissed in frustration. "Stop it! Don't ruin your new bed."

Barney glanced over at her and gave a gleeful yap of delight.

"Stupid animal." Becky muttered, cringing when she heard movement from upstairs. "Get over here you little brat before Cameron finds out about you." Barney did as asked and scampered over to her, just as a knock came at Becky's door. "Becky?"

Becky cursed under her breath. "Yes Cameron?"

"Can I come in?" He asked sleepily.

"Why aren't you still in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep." Becky rolled her eyes and deposited the puppy in its basket. "Do you wanna take a walk or something?"

"If your parents find out about this they'll kill us." Becky wheeled over to the door and opened it. Cameron took an involuntary step back as her wheelchair blocked the doorframe. "Why can't you sleep?"

"I dunno, I just can't." Becky eyed him, wondering if he had an ulterior motive for being awake. But he did genuinely seem to be sleepy and just wanted to get back to bed. "Maybe some fresh air will do me good."

"You and me-" Becky froze as Barney let out another little yap. Cameron's eyes narrowed as he tried to look past her into her room.

"What was that?" He asked, his voice conveying his clear confusion.

"The television." Becky blurted out, pushing herself further out of the room and closing the door before Barney made another break for freedom. "How about that walk huh?"

Cameron, either too tired or too stupid to realise that Becky hadn't yet wired up the television in her room, didn't answer. Instead, he went to her chair and began wheeling her through to the patio doors, which he slid open with a loud bang.

"Cameron!" Becky hissed. "Wake up the entire neighbourhood why don't you."

Cameron just rolled his eyes. Becky could tell he was inches away from falling asleep on his feet. "Maybe you should go back to bed Cameron, you look beat."

"By the time I fall asleep it'll just be time to get up anyway." Cameron said with a shrug. "I don't mind staying up now that I know you're up too. I just didn't want to have to stay up for another two hours doing nothing but staring at my ceiling."

"Fair enough." Becky compiled as Cameron wheeled her down the specialised ramp Shawn had had installed a few weeks after she arrived. "Where are we going?"

"I was figuring we could go sit under my tree." Cameron pointed off into the distance where a big oak tree stood, swaying gently in the early morning breeze.

Becky just stared at him. "And how am I gonna get myself over there huh? Fly?"

Cameron rolled his eyes. "You are so sarcastic and unfunny. But no, I can wheel you over to the tree, I've been carving out a path so that the chair can get across, see?" Cameron pointed out the small tracks woven into the dirt. Such a small yet sincere gesture made Becky's eyes water. This kid was so cute.

"It's your birthday and all you wanna do is sit under a stupid tree with me?" Becky asked with a chuckle.

Cameron attempted to shrug it off, but Becky could see the hint of a blush creeping over his cheeks. "Well, I've got nothing better to do have I? It's not like my parents will be up anytime soon."

"Well, lead the way." Cameron pushed Becky's wheelchair through the dirt track, and Becky could tell by the slow, sluggish progress they were making that her wheels were getting clogged up with dirt pretty quickly. "Yeahh, we totally didn't think this through did we."

Cameron cursed under his breath. "Mom will kill me if we get dirt all over the house."

"It's okay, we can hose down the wheels when we get back, there's no use turning back now when we're almost at the tree." Cameron wheeled her up onto the tree and then plopped down beside her. "This were you come often?"

Cameron shrugged. "If I've been bad and told to think about what I've done, I usually come out here. I came here right after our accident too... I like it here. It's peaceful and nice to look at."

Becky looked out onto the open Texas plane. "It is very pretty."

"What were you and my mom talking about?" Cameron said suddenly. Becky eyed him warily before smirking.

"None of your business."

"It looked serious."

"It was." Becky nodded. "But it was grown up stuff, stuff you wouldn't understand."

Cameron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cuz you're _so_ much more older than me right?"

"Excuse me, I'm classed as an adult!"

"You ain't twenty one!"

"Well," Becky scowled. "I'm classed as an adult in most places anyway. You are nowhere near adulthood."

"I'm classed as an adult in Khazakstan." They shared a look before they both burst out laughing. "Okay, that one was a total lie."

"Just a little." Becky felt a sharp pain in her back and winced, biting her lip a little before expelling a deep breath. "Okay, no more laughing for today." They sat a few more moments in silence. "I'm not staying for your party by the way."

"What?" Cameron turned to look at her in confusion. "Why not? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to stay with Mick for a few days before my operation." Becky saw his face fall. "Cameron, it's your birthday. It's a time for you to spend with your family and friends-"

"You are part of my family!" Cameron burst out angrily. "And you're... well... my friend." Becky could see the blush on his cheeks again and she smirked, he was too cute for words. "You're my best friend."

Becky felt a twinge in her heart, why did he always have to say such cute things to make her feel bad? She usually hated kids of all ages as well. "You know I can't handle too much in one day, I'd end up having to go for a nap then I'd be crabby and it would just be a waste of your day. I'd much rather hang out with Mick and go see some of my wrestler friends while you have fun with your friends and your family and your presents."

Cameron sighed wearily, knowing nothing he said could change her mind. "Fine, but I better get to see you before you go in for this stupid operation!"

"Yeah, stupid operation that might save my life." She saw his face pale. "I didn't mean it like that Cameron!"

"It's not.." He trailed off and looked away for a moment before turning his gaze back to her. "It's not a life threatening operation is it?"

Becky faltered, not knowing the full extent to the op herself. She'd been rather ignorant the past few weeks, choosing to just go in unprepared and not care what way she came out. She was crippled, that would most likely not change for years. Why should she care what this operation could do to help her when she was already helpless? "There's a certain risk involved... infection and whatever. It's just as life threatening as any operation. It all depends on my immune system and how strong I am to overcome anything that invades my system."

"But you'll be okay right, I mean, you're strong enough to prevent anything like that happening?" Cameron asked anxiously. "What is it they're doing again? Fusing your back together?"

"The vertabrea in my spine." Becky nodded. "They're removing some bone spurs, fusing two plates together to stop them colliding and then they're cleaning up any bone fragments they find in there. It's not the surgery that's the problem.... I just... I've not always been very healthy."

"What do you mean?"

"I have allergies to certain medication and sometimes we don't know which medication until I've already taken it and reacted badly to it." Becky gave a dry chuckle and sighed, staring down at her hands. "Four years in the wrestling business and not once have I had to have surgery. Two operations in one month for an injury that had fuck all to do with wrestling." She glanced at Cameron who had flinched when she swore. "Sorry kid. I'm just worried."

"You'll be okay." Cameron nodded adamantly. Becky didn't know whether he was trying to reassure her or reassure himself. "We're gonna pray for you. You're too young to die anyway Becky, God wouldn't let that happen."

Becky sighed. "Cameron, it doesn't matter how old people are. Sometimes people just don't live all that long. Babies and stuff die sometimes. God doesn't keep people on this world just because they're young." She saw his face crumple and suddenly felt bad for bringing the tone of the conversation down to such depressing levels. On his birthday no less. "Let's forget about it okay? We both know I'll get through it and whether or not I can walk after it is another story now." Becky glanced back towards the house which still looked shrouded in darkness. "Why don't we go back inside and you can wait in the den while I go get some of your presents?"

Cameron's eyes widened. "You got me more than one present?" Becky nodded as he scrambled to his feet, grabbing her wheelchair and turning her around slowly. "You didn't have to get me anything, never mind more than one thing."

"It's not everyday you turn fourteen right?" Becky replied with a grin. She saw Cameron still looked apprehensive. "It's not like I'm strapped for cash Cameron. I have a lot of money, and I'm not exactly gonna be spending it on myself am I?"

"Where'd you get money from?" Cameron asked curiously as they neared the house.

Becky shot him a look. "Um, wrestling? I've been all over the world the past four years wrestling at least three times a week. When you live by yourself and don't treat yourself to big cars and fancy houses and you live in a one bedroomed apartment and work part time at Wallmart on the side... you tend to build up quite the small fortune. I've been saving since I first started out in case anything like this ever happened and I wouldn't be able to compete anymore. You always gotta have a plan to fall back on you see."

"Cool." Cameron nodded and paused, glancing down at her wheels. "Um.. should I get the hose or go get my dad?"

Becky opened her mouth to reply but someone else beat her to it. "I think it's a bit late for that don't you?"

They turned sheepishly to look at Shawn, who was standing staring at them sternly, Rebecca beside him. "Um, dad, I couldn't sleep and-"

"And what? You thought you'd kidnap Becky and go sit under a tree for a while without telling us where either of you had went?" Becca asked, glancing pointedly to Becky. "Anything could have happened to you guys and we didn't even know where you'd gone, never mind why your beds were empty at 6 o'clock in the morning."

"Cameron couldn't sleep so I said we could go a walk cuz I couldn't sleep either." Becky replied quietly. "We didn't mean to worry you."

Shawn sighed. "It doesn't matter now, let's just get you inside so we can get your chair cleaned up." Shawn picked Becky up gently in his arms and carried her through to the den, leaving Rebecca and Cameron to hose down her wheels and let them dry in the early morning sun.  
"If I stay here, will you go get Cameron's presents for me?" Shawn nodded and turned back at the door. "Leave Barney right now, till he's opened his other gifts." Shawn disappeared and a few moments later, a sleepy Cheyenne came in, followed by Cameron and Rebecca.

"Happy birthday Cameron." Cheyenne said as she tried to stifle a yawn. Shawn re-entered the room laden down with presents and Rebecca quickly came to her husbands aid, placing a few gifts on the table in the middle of the room.

"Which one would you like to open first?" Rebecca asked her son kindly.

Cameron eyed the pile. "Give me the smallest ones first." Rebecca handed him a small square box and he glanced at the label, shooting Becky a small smile in thanks as he ripped the wrapping paper off. He opened the box slowly, and gasped as he fingered the delicate gold chain. "Becky!"

Shawn and Rebecca shared glances as Cameron got to his feet and rushed her, throwing his arms around her and hugging her tightly. "Look mom! Becky got me a crucifix."

Shawn inspected the small pendant, set in diamonds and hanging from a thin, gold chain.

"I know you lost yours that night." Becky said with a bashful smile. "So I thought I'd get you another one cuz.. well.. obviously because you're a Christian and well.. it could be like a nice reminder of when we first met. The downer would be you lost your old one when you got beat up and the positive could be that you got a new one from the new friend you made that same night."

Cameron took it from it's box and held it out to his mother. "Can you put it on me mom?" Rebecca obliged and clipped the chain into place. "Thank you so much Becky. I love it."

Becky smiled at his sincerity. "You're welcome, I'm glad you like it."

Cameron continued opening his presents while Becky and his family looked on. Rebecca, having noticed the bags underneath Becky's eyes, was wondering how much sleep Becky had gotten before Cameron had come knocking on her door bright and early. Shawn was too busy laughing along with his sons delight as he opened up new clothes, a new watch, a cell phone and video games as well as new figures to add to his ever growing collection of wrestling memorabilia to notice anything different about Becky. But Rebecca could tell, despite the facade she was putting on for Cheyenne and Cameron, that the young girl was exhausted. Cameron finally came to his final present, another one from Becky. It was rather large, and quite heavy when he picked it up. He glanced to Becky curiously and then to his mother and father, who both had amused expressions on their faces.

"You all know what this is don't you?" He asked suspiciously. Even Cheyenne seemed pretty eager to see him open it up.

Becky rolled her eyes. "Quit rabbling and just open it already so we can all go eat!" Everyone laughed while Cameron tore off the paper and opened the box slowly. His mouth dropped open in shock as he got a good look at the steel plated hunting rifle with his initials inscribed on the side. He took the gun in his hands and ran his hands over it, and suddenly the bullet cartriges that Becky had given him previously made sense. Despite loving his gift, he couldn't help but turn to Becky with a frown on his young face.

"I thought you didn't like the fact that I shot stuff." He said, glancing back down at his beautiful rifle and then up at Becky's face. "You said you would never come out with me when me and dad went hunting."

"And I won't." Becky said with a shrug. "Just because I don't like the idea of shooting stuff doesn't mean that other people can't shoot stuff. If it's something you love to do then I don't mind it anymore. I won't be shooting a deer anytime soon but I'd like you to at least kill stuff with a nice gun, rather than an old crappy gun."

Cameron smiled and jumped up, hugging her again before hugging each member of his family. "Thank you so much, this is the best birthday ever."

"Let me see that." Shawn said, eagerly taking Cameron's rifle into his hands. "You wouldn't mind buying me one of these would you Becky?"

Becky chuckled as Rebecca rolled her eyes. "You have enough guns Shawn!" Shawn pouted and Rebecca reached over to give her husband a sweet kiss and Becky averted her eyes, once more thinking about Mike and how weird it was not to have him hanging around her all the time.

"We have one more present." Cheyenne reminded them, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly. "Becky got you something else Cam!"

Cameron's eyes widened. "You didn't Becky?! I don't need all this stuff-"

"Well I'll take it all back to the store then." Shawn began picking everything up and Cameron launched a paper ball at his fathers head with a laugh. "Shall I go get it? Or Chey? Maybe you wanna?"

Cheyenne nodded happily. "I picked it Cameron, Becky paid for it but I picked it." She disappeared out the room and a few moments later, a tiny black blob bolted into the room, yapping excitedly. "Say hello Barney!"

Cameron let out a cry of delight. "A puppy!" He knelt down on the ground as Barney launched himself into Cameron's arms. "Wow Becky this is awesome!"

Becky smiled as she watched the adorable scene in front of her. "He's a good pup from what I've seen so far."

Cameron glanced up at her laughing. "So that was the barking I heard in your room earlier."

"Yeah, you were too sleepy to realise the TV in my room isn't working." Becky said with a grin, laughing as Barney, hearing a familiar voice, bounded over to her excitedly. "Hey there, you better not have peed all over my room."

"Can we take him a walk dad?" Cameron asked excitedly.

"We can after breakfast." Shawn said as him and Rebecca got to their feet and began clearing the floor of wrapping paper as Barney immersed himslef in chewing on it. "We'll take your new gun and the pup and go down to the forest. Chey can hold him while we shoot."

"Cool. I'm gonna go get ready. Come on Barney." Cameron ran out of the room, Barney at his heels. Cheyenne flopped back onto the couch, still rather sleepy.

"What time is Mick picking you up?" Rebecca asked, sitting down opposite Becky. She wanted to try talk to the young girl before she went to make breakfast.

Becky shrugged. "A couple more hours. I think he wants to take me to like a physiotherpay spa or something." Becky made a face. "I'd be happy just going to the training center and watching them work all day."

Rebecca smiled at the wistful look on her face. "You miss it huh?"

Becky sighed and looked down at her hands. "Everyday." She turned her head away for a moment before looking back at Rebecca with a strained smile. "But what can you do right?"

"Are you feeling better?" Rebecca pressed.

Becky smile was genuine this time as she nodded. "I do. Thank you so much for listening to me... I... I didn't want to burden you with my past Becca... I'm so sorry."

"Hey," Rebecca moved over till she was beside Becky and she gripped her hand tightly. "Don't ever be sorry for talking to me, okay? I know you still don't feel fully comfortable living here, but we love you okay? We want you to be happy and healthy and I want you to feel like a part of our family." Becky's eyes watered and Rebecca cupped her cheek fondly. "You can talk to me about anything, don't ever be afraid to talk to me, okay? I'm here to help you and I want to help you get through this, and eventually, when we tell Shawn, he'll do everything he can to help you too. We love you Becky, we just want you to be happy."

Becky took a deep breath to compose herself. "Thanks, I really appreciate it." Becca smiled and kissed her on the cheek before heading into the kitchen to help Shawn with the breakfast.

A few hours later, Becky was dressed and ready to head out with Mick, who was behind her wheelchair and was wishing Cameron a Happy Birthday. "Here ya go kid, from all us down in the training center." He handed Cameron a card no doubt full of money, and Cameron smiled and thanked the man genuinely. "You ready to go kid?"

Becky nodded, smiling up at her mentor before turning back to a rather anxious Shawn and Rebecca. "Leave me some birthday cake okay?" They both cracked smiles and bade her goodbye as Cheyenne cuddled and kissed her goodbye, leaving Cameron alone to wish her goodbye. "You have fun tonight kiddo, and enjoy that gun. Oh, and look after that pup and don't let him pee or poop anywhere in the house cuz then my wheels might get-" Becky was cut off as Cameron threw his arms around her neck and squeezed her tightly. "Oxygen Cameron!" Cameron pulled away, grinning at her sheepishly. "What was that for?"

"For my presents." Cameron said with a smile. "They were awesome, thank you so much. I'll see you before you go in for your operation... right?"  
Becky nodded. "I'm sure you will, but if not, give me another hug for good luck." Cameron hugged her again and she kissed his cheek. "Happy Birthday Cameron... I'll see you soon."

When Becky arrived at the training center and got settled in her chair in front of the training ring, Mick sat across from her, trying to assess the situation himself without having to do any prying. "You look like you've had it rough recently."

Becky rolled her eyes. "No shit Sherlock."

He let that one slide, she was bound to be on edge. They sat in silence for a few more moments before he spoke again. "So this operation.... you'll be okay right?"

Becky glanced at him, not surprised to see how unsure he was. Hadn't she just been looking at the same expression on Cameron's face a few hours ago. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" She just sighed and sent him a glare to tell him to drop it. He reached over and patted her knee companionably. They weren't affectionate people, but that one gesture went a long way for the both of them.

"Just wake up when it's over... that's all I ask."


	13. A Small Setback

"Dude, I swear, if you dare do that again I'll punch your fucking face in."

Melissa grinned widely. "That's the most you've said all week."

"Go fuck yourself." Becky muttered, closing her eyes again with a groan. She was badly in need of a nap but Melissa, who was staying with her for the week after her surgery, kept on tickling her nose with a stray feather she'd plucked from some unknown place. Just as Becky felt her eyes beginning to grow heavy and her sense of sound began to blur, she felt another little shiver on her face and she groaned. "Goddammit Melissa!"

Melissa just giggled, in real good spirits seeing as she'd won the TNA Knockouts Championship for the first time the night before. Becky was touched that instead of partying it up, she'd come straight back to San Antonio to be with her.

"Oh cheer up kid," Becky shot her a death glare. "You're awake and coherent which was totally not in the docs plans.... although if you scare me again the way you scared us on Tuesday I swear I'll kick your ass."

Becky rolled her eyes. "Geez, I'm sorry I took an allergic reaction to the morphine and my heart stopped beating. I'll make sure no-one's around to see it next time that happens."

Melissa grew somber. "Have you spoken to any of them at all?"

Becky didn't answer.

"Becs, he was scared, he's just a kid-"

"I know that!" Becky burst out. "Which is why I don't want them in here until I'm able to leave. You saw their faces Melissa, they were terrified. A ten year-old and a fourteen year-old had to watch me get CPR and get shocked with those paddles, can you imagine how hard that must have been for them to watch? I'm not taking that chance again Lissa, I don't want to die or something in front of them."

"But they want to make sure you're okay."

Becky rolled her eyes again. "Oh yeah, I'm peachy. I just didn't get fusion surgery and I can still walk, I've just been pretending all these weeks. I'm totally fine, really."

Melissa's eyes narrowed. "You don't have to be such a bitch. We care about you and we want to make sure you're gonna be okay. You might not have noticed, stopping breathing and all, but Shawn, Rebecca and I were just as scared as the kids when your machine went off. Do you have any idea how scary that is to know that if those doctors hadn't gotten here quick enough you might be dead by now?? I know you think it's for the best if you push people away to stop them seeing you vulnerable, but you're hurting peoples feelings and being a bitch about it won't get you anywhere."

Becky sighed, but her anger did not abate. "Gee, I'm sorry. I suppose seeing as how I've just been through surgery and my entire body is aching right now, not to mention my brains all foggy and I feel like I'm stoned, that means I have no right to be in a bad mood."

Melissa bit her lip to stop herself from saying anything nasty. "Look, just get some rest, I'll stop with the feather."

"Finally." Becky muttered, closing her eyes with a content sigh and leaving Melissa to her own thoughts.

The past few days had been hectic and stressful for all involved, but Melissa felt that Becky was the one with the least to complain about. She'd been unconcious throughout the surgery, she hadn't been sitting chewing her fingers right off like the Hickenbottoms and she had. And of course, it wasn't like she'd been aware when she'd stopped breathing and required emergency CPR. Melissa understood that she was in a lot of pain and that her mood swings had been up and down ever since the accident first happened, but she didn't believe that refusing to allow Cameron or Cheyenne into her hospital room was the right move. Melissa could remember the look on Cameron's face when Shawn relayed the information to him. The poor kid was crushed. Cheyenne was more complying, and understood what her father meant by Becky "needing some alone time". But Cameron was older and smart enough to realise it was just a ploy to keep him away from witnessing anything like that ever again.

Becky's breathing had evened out by now, and Melissa could rest easier knowing she was finally asleep. Just then, Doctor Richards entered the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"How has she been this morning?" He asked in a low voice, grabbing her chart and observing the stats written there.

"Her usual bitchy, sarcastic self." Melissa noted with a sniff. "She's still in a lot of pain, I can tell. Can't you give her anything to help that?"

The doctor frowned. "She's already on quite a high dosage of pain meds. I'm afraid of upping the dosage more in case it messes with her immune system. She's already weak enough as it is-"  
"She said that she's easily succeptable to viruses and stuff, after what happened on Tuesday." The Doctor's frown deepened. "Is that true?"

Dr Richards nodded slowly. "She's always been vulnerable in that sense. She didn't have a great immune system to begin with, so Tuesday's debacle was almost expected. However, she's shown great resistance since then. We just need to hope and pray that she stays strong enough for the next couple of weeks before she can go back home again."

Melissa waited a few moments before clearing her throat. "Um, was the surgery successful? I mean, will she walk anytime soon?"

Dr Richards sighed. "That, we don't know. As far as spinal fusion surgery goes, the procedure itself went as well as expected. There's still some badly frayed nerve endings back there, and the only way they'll be able to heal is with vigorous physiotherapy, which I don't think she's fit enough to achieve just yet. In saying that, until the nerves are properly healed, she won't be able to move her legs at all."

"So she needs therapy, and then she'll be able to walk?" Melissa wanted all the facts so that she knew the struggle ahead of them all. She wanted to give Shawn and Rebecca a heads up and let them know they could back out whenever they wanted. Becky wasn't exactly a bundle of joy to look after, especially in her handicapped state. Melissa could only imagine how tough it would be for them to have to put up with an angry, crippled teenager for much longer.

"The therapy will be a long, tiring, painful process, which is why I'd prefer if she waited until her final surgery in three months time before embarking on that journey." At Melissa's curious expression, he elaborated. "Becky's already been confined to a wheelchair for close to six weeks. Her legs have probably already started to stop working, and the longer they go unused, the more likely they are to atrophy. By the time she recovers from the next surgery, which could probably be six months from now, her legs will by then be rendered useless. It will take a long, long time for those legs to work the way they used to. Once she can move her legs around normally, the nerve endings will start to heal on their own as long as Becky's active. After that, maybe then her legs will be strong enough to allow her to walk again."

Melissa absorbed this information while the Dr fiddled with the machines and IV attached to Becky's body. "If she wakes up, you can tell her all that I told you if you wish. If not, give me a call and I'll come down and relay the information. Everything looks okay from here, but I'm still not sure the morphine reaction had any other aftereffects."

Melissa nodded and shot the doctor a small smile. "I'll buzz you the moment anything happens, I swear."

Dr Richards smiled. "Thank you Melissa, I'll just be going now. I'm sure there's a couple of other people in the waiting room who are wanting to visit Becky."

Melissa let out a huge sigh as he left the room. Poor Becky. Why must she have to go through so much hassle and trauma just to be able to do something everyone else took for granted? If only she'd accepted that lift home from Mick so many weeks ago.

But then, Melissa realised as Becky's eyes opened and turned to her, huge, sorrowful, and full of tears. Melissa remembered that in injuring her back, Becky had saved a young boys life, and for that, his lovely parents were eternally grateful.

"It's rude to eavesdrop." Melissa muttered, causing Becky to roll her eyes.

"Well I knew if I pretended to sleep you'd lay off with that damn feather, and then when I heard him come in I thought it best to hear the verdict without having to answer questions myself." Becky stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"You alright in there?" Melissa asked with a feeble squeeze of Becky's hand. Becky returned the gesture, although it was even weaker than Melissa's effort. "At least on the good side, you've got six months before you can learn to walk again."

"Yeah, but how hard is it gonna be once the six months are up?" Melissa was a mixture of grateful and confused as to why Becky wasn't showing more emotional interest in what she'd found out about her recovery process. She was too busy staring at the ceiling, her eyes glazing over slightly. Melissa wondered what the hell she could be daydreaming about at a time like this. "I'd rather not think about it to be honest, I just wanna get out of here."

"He said there were people in the waiting room for you, shall I go get them?" Becky just nodded, then winced, and Melissa got to her feet and peeked her head around the door. Not surprised to see Mick and Mike both sitting across from each other, looking anywhere but at the other. The image made Melissa smile, and she had to think quickly before either of them saw her who was to see Becky first. Deciding that Becky would probably like Mick to stay longer, Melissa approached Mike first, but wasn't surprised when Mick also sprung to his feet.

"She's awake, but she isn't really up for much talking." Melissa said with a gentle smile. "I'll wait here with Mick, just let us know when you're done."

Mike shot her a smile before nodding swiftly to Mick and making his way up to the room, leaving an uncomfortable silence in his wake.

"Is she okay?" Mick asked almost immediately as they sat down together on the bench. "She woke up alright didn't she?"

Melissa nodded slowly. "She woke up on Monday night, and she seemed fine. I wasn't there but apparently she was okay. When I got there on Tuesday she was sleeping...."

"But?" Mick prodded, feeling that a but was definitely what was about to be placed in that sentence.

"But then she stopped breathing," As Mick's face paled, Melissa hastened to pacify him. "She just took an allergic reaction to the medication, and it was touch and go for the rest of Tuesday night. But by yesterday morning she was breathing fine again. She woke up earlier today and she's been talkative ever since. The doctors think she's out of the danger zone now and should only get better as the weeks go on."

"And how much longer is she stuck inside this place?" Mick grumbled, glancing across the waiting room to take in the other patients waiting their turn for medical help.

"Just a few more weeks." Mick winced and Melissa sighed. "I know, she hates it. But I don't think she's strong enough just yet to properly complain about it. The doctor says it'll be another week before she wants to do anything other than sleep."

Mick nodded thoughtfully. "And has the kid been down to see her?"

Melissa faltered slightly. "He um, he came down... they all came down .. on Tuesday-" Mick's head snapped up almost instantly.

"They didn't see..." He let the sentence trail off and Melissa nodded. Mick swore. "Damn, she won't have like that when she found out."

"She didn't, she's banned the kids from seeing her till she gets out of hospital." Mick swore more vehemently and rolled his eyes. "They weren't happy, but Rebecca felt it was the right thing to do too. Their faces when her machine went off...." Melissa fought hard to suppress a shudder. "It was horrific."

She opened her eyes when she felt a gentle hand on her knee. She looked up into the older mans eyes that were crinkled with sincerity. "She'll be alright Lissa. She's tough as nails that kid, won't let anything strike her down for too long."

Melissa nodded, letting him pull her into his embrace. "I just can't help but keep waiting for a breakdown that I know is probably never gonna come. What can we do to make her realise bottling her feelings up isn't the right thing to do?"

Mick sighed, storking her hair fondly as she started to cry. "We can't do anything. She just has to make that conclusion on her own." He spotted Mike leaving Becky's room a little way up the hallway, and straightened up, catching Melissa's tears with his thumb. "She'll be okay, I promise you that. She made a promise to me years ago not to die before I did. So you can bet your ass she's hanging around for a while."

Melissa smiled. "Thank you Mick, I really appreciate that." She leant forward and kissed him on the cheek, surprising the older man slightly before he recovered his composure and got to his feet. "I'll wait out here while you go see her."

Mick entered the hospital room, still thinking about the smooth dark hair he'd carressed, and the soft lips that had brushed against his cheek. He felt his face flushing at the thought. He accidentally banged his knee against the corner of Becky's bed, and after cursing for three straight minutes, he glanced up to see the blonde staring at him with quirked eyebrows.

"What the hells got you all in a flutter?" Becky muttered. Mick could tell by the slurring of her voice that she was heavily doped up. "What did Lissa do to you?"

The mere mention of the young lady's name made him feel even more nervous, and before he could think of something proper to say, he saw Becky's lips beginning to twist into a smirk. "Shut your mouth Crawford."

Becky sighed. "Oh that's nice. Treat the patient like shit, very good." Becky's eyes were twinkling and Mick was at least happy to see that part of the real Becky was still hidden away in there somewhere. "Is your knee hurting? I'm sure Melissa would rub it better for you."

Mick turned his gaze onto Becky and stared at her for a few moments. "If you don't shut up, I'm going to kill you."

Melissa could hear Becky's laughter from the waiting room, and she sighed inwardly with relief as she couldn't help the smile that came across her face. If she could laugh so hard only three days after such serious surgery, that could only be a good thing.

Melissa rested her head against the wall, thinking about what Mick had said.

Maybe things could only get better after all.


	14. Drastic Measures

_A/N : Thank you to __**RKOsgirl92, redrose88, Laura **__and __**Sinfully_Sined**__ for reviewing, I reaaalllyyy appreciate it. I'll try be more consistant with my updates, but I've had a really bad case of writer's block recently. Please keep reviewing so I know people are enjoying this one, thanks!!_

The quiet was deafening.

That was all Shawn could think about as he sat at the island in the kitchen, eating his bowl of cornflakes and watching as his wife made sausages on the stove. The entire house seemed to be doused in silence. Usually, on a Saturday morning, there would be noises coming from the television in the sitting room, or from Cameron's stereo in his bedroom. There would be continuous thumping of the stairs as the kids ran to and from their bedrooms, and the occasional crash as someone fell or banged into an inanimate object. Then of course there was the constant sibling squabbles that seemed to take place moreso at weekends than any other time.

But today, things were different. There were no sounds. Shawn couldn't hear any televisions or stereos, he couldn't hear anyone moving up or down the stairs and didn't hear any sibling squabbles or any accidents with the furniture. Even Barney, possibly the most over-excited pup Shawn had ever seen had been very subdued, choosing to stay curled up in his basket or sprawled out in Becky's room, rather than follow Cameron anywhere he went. He didn't like it, but there was nothing he could do to change it. They had fallen into a routine ever since Becky had arrived and now that she was no longer in the house... things were different, and Shawn could see it was hard for his family to adjust to the absence of the young girl.

Rebecca turned away from the stove, frying pan in hand, intending to place the kids breakfast on the plates set out in front of her. As she turned, she immediately caught her husbands eye, and a small smile of understanding graced her features.

"He'll be okay, Shawn."

Shawn frowned. "I'm not so sure about that.... he's taken it hard, harder than I thought."

Rebecca sighed. "You need to remember Becky almost died right in front of him... it's not something I think any of us want him to see again-"

"The doctors said it probably won't happen again." Shawn protested slightly.

"Probably." Rebecca raised two perfectly sculpted eyebrows so they almost disappeared into her bangs. "It's not a risk I'm willing to take."

Shawn sighed and glanced back down at his cereal, lost in his own thoughts as Rebecca left the room to call their children for their breakfast. A few moments later, Cheyenne bounced in, followed slowly by Cameron, who plonked himself down into the seat across from his father with a loud, self-pitying sigh.

"Morning Cameron." Shawn said, watching his son intently as he nibbled on his breakfast only half-heartedly. "Morning Chey."

"Morning." Cheyenne replied brightly, tucking into her breakfast with a lot more vigour than her brother, who had replied with a half-hearted, "Morning dad." and gone back to eating with non-gusto.

"What do you two want to do today?" Cameron looked up hopefully and Shawn bit back a groan, wishing he'd picked his words better.

"Can we go see Becky in the hospital today?"

"No." Cameron's face fell, and he got back to his breakfast as Rebecca re-entered the room, one hand covering her cell-phone, the other motioning for Shawn to follow her. Shawn quickly got to his feet and swept after his wife, who paused just outside the kitchen and resumed her phone call.

"Yeah, Melissa, we can be there after one." Rebecca glanced at Shawn, slight concern and worry etched on her face. "I'm sure Shawn's parents won't mind looking after the kids for a little while...... Becky said what?" Suddenly Rebecca's features softened and she let out a breathless chuckle. "Yeah, I can bring her some of my muffins. Okay, tell her we'll be there soon, okay, bye." Rebecca hung up the phone and turned to her husband, her eyes alive with excitement. "That was Melissa."

"I gathered that." Shawn replied cheekily, earning himself a slap on the wrist for his troubles. "I take it Becky's feeling better if she's requesting some muffins."

"Melissa says she's in better spirits today than she has been all week." Rebecca replied excitedly. "Today's the first day she's actually welcomed conversation rather than sleep." She trailed off a little and glanced to the now-closed kitchen door. "Melissa says she still doesn't want the kids there.... but she still has a few weeks before she can be discharged.... do you really think she won't let them see her for five more weeks?"

Shawn couldn't help but smirk at his wife's unease. "Was it not you who two minutes ago was telling me you weren't going to allow them in to see her until she was one hundred percent?"  
"That was before Melissa told me she's in better spirits." Rebecca pointed out. "I think if she's feeling better, and constantly asking Melissa to ask how they are, it means she wouldn't mind seeing them in another week or so."

"Why don't we leave that up to Becky," Shawn said gently, pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her waist. "I take it she requested our presence today?"

Rebecca nodded, looking thoughtful. "Melissa says she asked if we were coming to visit today? Because she knew we hadn't planned on it, she thought she'd phone and ask if we could pop in even for a little while. Melissa's flying back to Florida this week, so Becky'll need all the company she can get."

"Of course." Shawn nodded and pulled her back into the room to their forgotten breakfast and children, who glanced up at them curiously. "We'll eat and get dressed, drop the sprouts off at my parents and get going. If you can make muffins quick enough that is."

"The chocolate chips easier than blueberry." Rebecca replied with a wink.

"Chocolate chip?" Cameron piped up curiously. "Are you making Becky muffins, mom?"

Rebecca and Shawn shared an exasperated look. "Yes, Cameron. Your father and I are going to visit Becky for a little while this afternoon."

"Can we-" Cameron began desperately.

"No." Shawn cut in firmly. "You know Becky isn't up to seeing you right now," His sons face fell and he felt a small stab of pity. "Maybe soon if she's feeling better..... it's for the best Cameron-"

"The only reason I'm not allowed in is because you all think I can't handle it." Cameron burst out angrily. "I'm not a stupid little kid. I'm not gonna cry if something bad happens to her like _some people_." He shot his little sister a death glare as he spoke.

"Hey!" Cheyenne protested.

"Cameron." Rebecca warned.

"Well it's true!" Cameron shot back. "If Chey hadn't cried like a baby maybe Becky wouldn't think we're too stupid to go visit her in the hospital!"

"I'm not a _baby_." Cheyenne replied indignantly. "Becky was _dying_ Cameron, it was scary!"

"It's because of you we can't see her anymore." Cameron spat bitterly. "It's cause of you Becky hates us!"  
"Cameron that's enough!" Shawn barked as Cheyenne's bottom lip began to tremble dangerously. "Apologise to your sister."

"No," Cameron said, grabbing his plate and shooting up from his seat. "It's true. I'm not saying sorry for telling the truth."

"Cameron, get back here!" Shawn called, but as he heard the door slam, he slumped in his seat, defeated. It was only when he glanced up that he caught sight of the tears in his daughters eyes.

"Did he mean that daddy?" Cheyenne whispered pitifully. "Does Becky hate us now?"

Shawn was too surprised to react quick enough.

"Oh honey, no, of course not." Rebecca pulled her daughter into her embrace as Cheyenne began to cry. "Becky doesn't hate you! She just doesn't want you seeing her when she's so sick."

"But-"

"No, Chey, you have nothing to be blamed for." Shawn said firmly. "None of this is your fault. Becky's just ill, and she just needs some extra time alone before she'll let you and Cameron see her. It's not your fault, Becky just doesn't want to scare you. Don't cry, sweetheart."

"I didn't mean to act like a baby." Cheyenne whined. "I thought she was going to die, that's all."

Shawn sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I know, Chey. We all thought that too. But Becky didn't die. And eventually, when she's feeling better, you can both go see her. Cameron's just upset, don't let what he said bother you."

Rebecca held her daughter closer and kissed the top of her head. "I'll let Becky know you miss her, okay? She doesn't hate you, Chey, don't ever think that."

Cheyenne sighed and wiped her tears away. "Okay, mom."

Shawn shared a glance with his wife and rose to his feet. "I'll be back soon." He left the kitchen and went to the hallway, not surprised to see Cameron had taken his shoes and jacket out with him. Shawn knew San Antonio General was at least a half hours walk away from their home. And he wouldn't put it past his son to try walk there and sneak in to see Becky alone without permission. He opened the door and glanced around, surprised to see that Cameron was leaning against the front gates, the scowl on his face conveying the frustration he was feeling. Shawn knew he should be sympathetic to his sons feelings and not be too hard on him, but he hated seeing his little girl cry. And Cheyenne had done nothing to deserve her brothers wrath.

"I want you to go in and apologise to your sister for what you said to her." Shawn said the moment he came within his sons earshot. "And then I want you to apologise to your mother for leaving the room during breakfast."

There was a moment of silence, and Shawn thought he was going to be fully ignored, but eventually Cameron replied quietly. "I will."

"Cam, you'll see her soon." Shawn promised, his tone softening as he leant next to his son. "She's just..." He trailed off and Cameron glanced up at him expectantly. "She doesn't want you to see her in such a state, and I agree with her-"

"But you said so yourself that she's getting better!" Cameron exploded. "Clearly the only reason for not letting us in there is because she doesn't want to see us!"

"Do you really believe that Cameron?" The young boy blushed and glared at his feet. "Because if you believe that then you won't want to see Becky at all, would you?"

"I said she hated us, I didn't say I hated her." Cameron mumbled back.

"I know what you're planning on doing, and I won't let you sneak off to the hospital yourself." Cameron looked up, rather mystified. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it Cameron, I know you better."

Cameron sighed. "Fine, I won't go see her until you let me."  
"Promise me you won't sneak off." Shawn pressed further. "Your mom would be upset if you disappeared suddenly. I want your word."

Cameron faltered ever so briefly, biting his lip a little and shuffling his feet for a few moments before eventually catching his dads gaze and holding it. "I promise that I won't sneak off, dad."

"Thank you." There was another few moments silence before Shawn spoke again. "I think you better go in and apologise. And Cameron?" Cameron, who had moved forward a few steps, turned back. "I don't want to hear you talking to your sister like that again."

Cameron rolled his eyes but didn't speak, and Shawn watched as he walked back to the house, waiting until he was inside before following. He was even more determined now more than ever to get some answers out of Becky and try convince her to let the kids in to see her. The last thing he or Rebecca needed was a sulky teenager crashing around the house biting everyone's heads off for the next three weeks.

Later on that day, Shawn turned back at the hospital door. "Are you sure you don't want the kids to come with us next time?"

Becky hesitated slightly. Shawn could see the dark circles under her eyes, and could tell by her shallow breathing that despite what she said, she was still heavily medicated. "I don't think so, Shawn. Not just yet."

Rebecca smiled supportingly. "It'll be okay, Becky. You'll be out of here before you know it."

Shawn could tell Becky was trying desperately hard not to roll her eyes or say something sarcastic in reply. "Yeah, I know, Becs."

"At least think about it Becky, please." Becky gave him an exasperated look, and he shrugged. "Cameron went crazy at Cheyenne this morning because he hates the fact that he can't come see you. I think you're doing more harm than good with all of this, but that's just my opinion."

Becky sent him a strange look, then glanced at the clock on the wall. "Look, I'll think about it, okay? But you have to understand where I'm coming from. I nearly _died_ Shawn, and if I had died, two kids would have stood there and seen the whole thing. I don't want to scar them like that. I'm a wreck and I'm constantly in pain and I can barely move. I don't want them to see that. I don't want to put them through that." She glanced at the clock again and was unsuccessful in stifling her yawn. "Thank you so much for coming, but I'm totally beat. I think I might pass out halfway through a sentence if I don't get some sleep."

"We'll be back soon." Rebecca promised. Shawn could see there was something his wife wanted to say as they made their way through the hospital to the carpark. It was only when they were settled in the SUV that she finally spoke. "She looked terrible."

Shawn glanced at her strangely. "I thought she looked better than she's been. She was much more talkative. A bit more responsive than usual. Considering the amount of medication she's on, she looked great, Becs-"

"I'm not talking about that." Rebecca interrupted impatiently. "I'm talking about mentally. Did you see those black eyes, Shawn? She's still not sleeping and she's still in denial about it. She's exhausted and she's in pain and there's nothing anyone can do and I hate it. I hate that someone so young as her has to go through such problems."

Shawn stayed quiet, not knowing exactly how to make his wife feel better. He felt the same way, angry that such a young, happy kid like Becky would be blighted with so many problems so early on in life.

"We need to help her Shawn." Rebecca said quietly, staring at her hands intently. "When she's done with all these operations and her rehab and everything, we have to help her. We have to make sure she stays happy and healthy."  
Shawn reached over and gripped his wifes hands tightly. He knew his wife and Becky had talked. And he had a strange suspicion that Becky had revealed some of her past to his wife. Considering Rebecca hadn't told him about it, he realised it must be serious, and wasn't something that Becky wanted anyone else to know. His wife had grown quite close to Becky over the past couple months, he knew it broke her heart to see the teenager in such pain. "Of course we will, she's part of the family now, whether she likes it or not."

Hours later, when Shawn and Rebecca had already been to see Becky, deposited her desired muffins and picked their children back up from his parents house, Shawn was relaxing in his study, going over the card for the upcoming Summerslam pay-per-view that would take place in a weeks time. Shawn's original plan had been to take the entire family - including Becky - to the show, where they could watch from front row and then relax backstage for a while. Now, though, those plans were scuppered. Becky wouldn't be going anywhere out of the hospital for weeks, and Shawn knew Rebecca had grown too attached to the young girl to leave her behind.

"Shawn!" His wife's panicked cry had him shooting up out of his chair and up the steps to his bedroom before he'd even had a chance to think. He found Rebecca standing at the top of the stairs, her face white, her eyes wide with fright.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Cheyenne popped her head out of her room to see what all the commotion was, frowning in confusion when she saw the distress on her mothers face.

"It's Cameron, he's not in his room. I looked around the house, I can't find him anywhere." Shawn felt like cursing as he made his own way to Cameron's bedroom, as though to make sure for himself that what his wife said was true. Sure enough, Cameron's room was empty and after a few moments searching, it was obvious he was no-where in the house or in the garden.

"He wouldn't have went to Martin's at this time without asking permission first, would he?" Rebecca asked, looking uncertain as she glanced in the kitchen for the fifth time.

Shawn glanced at his watch. It was six thirty. He knew the hospital allowed visitors for another few hours. He couldn't believe the nerve of his son. Especially considering he'd specifically made him give his word that he wouldn't do what Shawn was positive he'd done. Exactly like he'd feared, Rebecca was panicked and scared, wondering why her son had took off randomnly, not leaving any inclination as to where he might have gone. If Shawn hadn't been so disbelieving of his sons insolence, he might have been scared and angry himself.

"Dad, what's going-"

"Go back to your room, Chey, everything's fine." Cheyenne shot him a 'Yeah right' look, but did as she was asked and retreated to her room. Rebecca turned back to her husband, slight tears in her eyes.

"Where could he have gone, Shawn? I didn't think he was this upset."

Shawn sighed and walked over to her, sliding his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek gently. "Don't worry, I'll find him."

Rebecca watched as he walked to the front door. "But how do you know where to look for him?"

Shawn turned back to her, a sad smile playing about his lips. "Because I know exactly where he is."


End file.
